Deaths and injuries were reported in Europe on Wednesday as firefighters battled blazes in Greece, Portugal, France and Italy, amid a blistering heatwave.
In Portugal, firefighters are struggling to contain 25 major and minor wildfires burning throughout the nation, Civil Defence ANEPC said.
The worst are two fires in Chaves and Murça, in the Vila Real district east of Porto, where at least three people died and 223 were injured, six of them seriously, the Civil Defence ANEPC said.
Some 1,055 people have been evacuated, though the 900 emergency personnel are making significant progress in containing the fires, the agency said.
A months-long drought coupled with strong winds is exacerbating the problem and contributing to the wildfires' spread. Some 98% of the country is struggling with a severe drought, according to Portuguese Institute of Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) data.
Temperatures are also soaring to 47 degrees in some places that have suffered severe heat since early July.
Officials say the extreme weather may be causing excess deaths, with 1,063 more people dying in the period between July 7 and July 18 than during the same period last year, the Health Ministry said.
It is unclear, however, whether the higher mortality is related to the heat, as more people in Portugal died in June than during the same month last year, even without higher temperatures.
In Greece, a large blaze in Athens continued to burn, with flames reaching residential areas and scorching homes, though firefighters reported progress later in the day.
Three firefighters and nine residents suffered mild injuries and were taken to hospital with breathing difficulties, state broadcaster ERT reported.
Seven localities and a children's hospital had to be evacuated.
Thick brown plumes of smoke could be seen early on Wednesday from almost all parts of Athens. Parts of the motorway linking the city to the airport were shut due to limited visibility.
Planes and helicopters are being used to contain the fires blazing in the shadow of Mount Pentelicus, which has damaged houses and caused injury to residents and firefighters.
Later, Greek fire brigade spokesperson Ioannis Artopoios said "the situation is a bit better," in comments to broadcaster Skai. He added that the emergency services were seeking to "surround" numerous patches still burning to douse them completely.
Meanwhile in Italy, hundreds of people in a Tuscan community had to be evacuated as a large wildfire spread across more land.
More than 100 firefighters continued to battle the fire, officials said, with 500 residents in the Tuscan community of Massarosa brought to safety in recent hours.
Video from overnight showed flames threatening homes and racing up trees, as several fire fronts expanded due to strong winds.
From the air, four firefighting aircraft and a helicopter are supporting the ground efforts, in an operation that began on Sunday.
Tuscan Governor Eugenio Giani tweeted that some gas tanks engulfed in the blaze exploded.
A further fire was reported in Florence.
For weeks now firefighters have been battling forest and bush fires throughout the country. Many have been caused by human negligence or arson, and then exacerbated by dry conditions and wind.
Firefighters were also battling a forest fire near the Italian-Slovenian border in the municipality of Doberdò, south of Gorizia, officials said. Images showed thick clouds of smoke billowing out of the woods. A section of motorway near Monfalcone, between Triest and Venice, had to be closed.
Parts of the islands of Sicily and Sardinia have been placed on the highest wildfire alert level.
In France, two major wildfires were spreading in the southern part of the Atlantic coast, despite the efforts of firefighters who have been battling the flames for the past week.
The fires spread to burn a further 300 hectares late on Tuesday, Gironde officials said.
A total of 20,600 hectares of land has burned near Landiras and Teste-de-Buch, south of Bordeaux.
Strong winds and droughts in some areas are fanning other fires in France, including in Brittany, where a wildfire tore through more than 1,700 hectares of forest near Brasparts. Hundreds of people had to be brought to safety.
The heatwave is also affecting Britain. Dozens of trains were cancelled or delayed across England on Wednesday because of problems caused by the extreme heat that came a day after record temperatures were registered throughout the country.
Meanwhile Britain is bracing for more extreme weather, with a yellow warning in place for heavy showers and thunderstorms in parts of England that could bring disruption later on Wednesday.
