Spain and France are preparing for a fresh wave of extreme heat, with temperatures expected to exceed 40C in parts of both countries as firefighters continue battling major wildfires.
Spain’s national weather service said the severe weather is expected to continue until “at least” Sunday, warning of an “extreme” risk of wildfires while emergency crews struggle to contain some of the worst blazes in the country’s history, News.Az reports, citing BBC.
In France, the southwestern departments of Gironde and Landes have been placed under a “yellow alert” for a heatwave forecast to peak on Wednesday, creating additional challenges for firefighters trying to control the “very unpredictable” wildfires burning in Gironde.
The mayor of Bordeaux said the city is preparing for every possible scenario as one of the wildfires has advanced to within 15 kilometers (nine miles) of the southwestern city.
“We are preparing to accommodate a large number of people should further evacuations be ordered,” Bordeaux Mayor Thomas Cazenave said.
Authorities have evacuated around 220,000 people in France and more than 100,000 in Spain, where wildfires continue to burn out of control west of Madrid.
