A rare red 'extraordinary hazard' alert has been issued in parts of Spain this week as temperatures are forecast to soar as high as 44C.
Spain's meteorological agency AEMET has issued a red alert for extreme temperatures, with highs of 44C forecast in Almeria, south east Spain.
Heat warnings across Spain
Amber and yellow heat alerts are also in force across large parts of Spain including Malaga, Mallorca, Murcia, La Rioja, Navarre, and Lleida, where temperatures have been forecast to top 39C.
It comes as Spain's government has declared a national emergency after wildfires forced the evacuation of some 10,000 people in the central region of Madrid.
Wildfires in France
In southern France, tens of thousands fled their homes to escape two major blazes. Authorities in south-western France ordered more mass evacuations on the Atlantic coast because of large wildfires. An estimated 40,000 people have been driven from their homes over the past two days in the region.
More than 34 square miles have been burned by the blaze that has been raging since Wednesday near the touristic Cap Ferret peninsula. Some people were forced to flee by boat. France requested the activation of the European Union's Civil Protection Mechanism.
French president Emmanuel Macron said: “We will soon be able to rely on reinforcements including two Croatian Canadair firefighting aircraft, two Portuguese Air Tractor aircraft, and two heavy-lift Black Hawk helicopters from the Czech Republic and Slovakia.”
Climate context
Southern Europe has seen multiple large fires this summer. Europe is the world's fastest-warming continent, with temperatures increasing twice as quickly as the global average since the 1980s, according to the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service. Globally, 2025 was the third-hottest year on record, bringing severe heat waves across Europe.
Scientists warn that climate change is exacerbating the frequency and intensity of heat and dryness especially in south-eastern Europe, making the region more vulnerable to health impacts and wildfires.
AEMET also publishes a daily wildfire risk map. On Friday, July 24, large parts of mainland Spain have been hit with an 'extreme' risk of wildfires due to the heat.
