Brussels, July 20 : Western Europe is reeling under unprecedented heat wave with record temperatures across the continent accompanied by forest fires, BBC reported on Wednesday.
The UK, which usually faces milder climates, saw temperatures of more than 40C (104F) for the first time.
Germany saw its hottest day of the year so far. The national weather service recorded 39.3C at 16:00 local time (14:00 GMT) in the western city of Duisburg. On Tuesday, Germany experienced its hottest day of 2022.
While in Portugal the death toll from the unprecedented heatwave has crossed 1000.
In France, 64 different areas registered record-high temperatures on Monday, even though the all-time high for mainland France has not been topped, the south-west of the country has experienced its biggest wildfires in more than 30 years. Since 12 July, fires have engulfed more than 19,300 hectares (47,700 acres) of the wine-growing Gironde region, forcing some 34,000 people to evacuate from their homes.
In Belgium, a fire broke out in dunes at the Belgian resort of De Haan, setting several vehicles alight. Following the ferocious heat, the country is now bracing itself for thunderstorms that could lead to 20-30mm of rain in some region, Le Soir newspaper reports.
The Netherlands saw one of its hottest days on record on Tuesday with 39.5C in Maastricht, forecasters said.
The continent has been swept by wildfires, even as the UN’s World Meteorological Organization (WMO) warned there was worse to come.
Heatwaves have become more frequent and more intense, and last longer because of human-induced climate change.
In addition to record temperatures in the UK, several fire services declared major incidents after a surge in fires.
A major blaze in Wennington, east London, set homes alight. Residents who had to be evacuated told the BBC that some eight homes and possibly a local church had been destroyed in the fire, while a firefighter at the scene described it as “absolute hell”.
Central and north-western Spain has also been ravaged by wildfires.