Hundreds of Thousands Flee Wildfires in France and Spain
Wildfires raging across France and Spain have driven hundreds of thousands of people from their homes, as a punishing heatwave pushes temperatures above 40C. France has mounted what may be its largest peacetime evacuation, and Spain has declared a national emergency, with fires burning beyond containment in places. Water-bombing aircraft have been drawn from across the European Union.
In France, blazes along the Atlantic coast near Bordeaux and across the south-west have forced tens of thousands from campsites and villages, while in Spain fires around Madrid, in Guadalajara and further south have emptied dozens of communities. No new deaths have been confirmed overnight, though many firefighters have been injured. The final stage of the Tour de France was shortened as a precaution. For the many Britons holidaying in the region, the danger is acute. Watch the rising evacuation totals and whether the heat begins to ease.