Wildfires in Portugal, Spain, France, Greece and other countries have forced mass evacuations and put the Tour de France at risk.
The fires, which have already ravaged more than 20,000 hectares (50,000 acres) of land, come as the region emerges from a severe heat wave in May and June that was responsible for thousands of deaths.
French authorities ban spectators on Tour de France stages
In southwestern France, 10,500 people near Perpignan were told to evacuate their homes due to a wildfire in the Pyrenees that has ravaged more than 4,600 hectares of land.
The third stage of the Tour de France cycle race through the Pyrenees on Monday will be run without spectators amid the threat of fire, officials said.
Only riders and their team vehicles will be allowed on the 196-kilometre (122-mile) stage crossing from Spain to France.
Regional prefect Pierre Regnault de La Mothe told reporters: “I’m sorry to say: at least in France, there will be a stage of the Tour de France without spectators.”
Hundreds of firefighters are tackling another blaze in a mountainous district in the south-eastern Drome department.
Major fires have broken out in Spain, Greece and Portugal.
In Spain’s northeastern Verona region, a wildfire that broke out on Friday threatened tourist beaches on the Costa Brava, burning about 2,200 hectares (5,400 acres) of land and was still not brought under control on Monday.
Temperatures have exceeded 40 °C (104 °F) in some parts of the country, raising the risk of new fires.
In Greece, a wildfire burned two factories in Thessaloniki in the north of the country, prompting authorities to evacuate the surrounding area and issue warnings to residents to keep windows closed.
In Portugal, a wildfire that destroyed about 13,000 hectares of forest and bushland in the Northern District has reportedly been brought under control. Four areas of the country remained on heat alert on Monday also.
Scientists agree that humans’ burning of fossil fuels is changing the climate in such a way that heat waves and other extreme weather events are far more likely and severe, increasing the risk of both wildfires and floods.
Edited by: Zack Crellin
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