June and July are turning out to be horrid months for most of the European and northern African countries, as firefighters battle wildfires caused by this week’s heatwave. Several parts of Europe and northern Africa recorded extreme temperatures of more than 45C (113F). In Western Europe, which was already experiencing severe drought, the heatwave fueled fires that raged across Portugal, Spain, and parts of France. In Portugal, temperatures reached 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit) on July 13 in the town of Leiria, where more than 3,000 hectares (7,400 acres) had burned. More than half of the country was on red alert as firefighters battled 14 active fires.

Source: The North Africa Journal July 16, 2022 09:43 UTC