Heat wave triggers wildfires across southern Europe

Southern Europe is in the grip of a deadly heat wave, with temperatures soaring past 40 C, sparking wildfires that have forced thousands to take emergency action in several countries, and triggering alerts for tourism hot spots.

As extreme temperatures gripped France, the nation's weather agency, Meteo-France, activated red alerts, its most serious warning level, across 12 administrative units stretching from Atlantic Ocean coastal areas to Mediterranean Sea regions, reported Agence France-Presse.

"Don't be fooled. This isn't normal, 'it's summer'. It's not normal. It's a nightmare," agricultural climatologist Serge Zaka told the French broadcaster BFMTV.