- Forest fires in La Palma in the Canary Islands and Turkey forced evacuations
- Italy issued red weather warnings for 16 of its cities due to the scorching heat
- Meteorologists warning that temperatures will hit record highs across Europe
Thousands of people have been forced to evacuate their homes as wildfires engulf La Palma and Turkey amid Europe’s sweltering heatwave that could see record-breaking temperatures this week.
Firefighters were trying to contain a wildfire on the Spanish island of La Palma and forced the evacuation of at least 4,000 people, while smoke was also seen rising as a fire broke out in the woodland of Canakkale in northwestern Turkey.
It comes as Europe braces for a new ‘severe heat storm’ which could bring record-breaking 49C temperatures to parts of Italy and Greece in the coming days.
Italian authorities issued red weather alerts across 16 cities as a fierce new anticyclone dubbed ‘Charon’ hits southern Europe, with Sardinia forecast to see temperatures of 49C (120F) this week – the hottest on record in the continent.
Spain, Italy and Greece have been experiencing scorching temperatures for several days already, damaging agriculture and forcing British travellers to cancel their holidays.
The Foreign Office has urged holidaying Britons to seek guidance on how to stay safe in the extreme heat.
Source: Dailymail