Several hundred soldiers and firefighters fought four fires in central Spain and the northeastern region of Catalonia, as Europe's heat wave continued into the weekend.
Authorities evacuated a small village near Madrid after a fire that began on Friday in the town of Almorox spread into the surrounding region. The blaze had already destroyed 2,000 hectares (4,900 acres) by Saturday afternoon.
Emergency services also battled a smaller fire in the Almorox region and evacuated 22 residents near the central city of Toledo.
Persistent danger
In Catalonia, the regional government said they had contained a large fire, but were worried about a smaller one.
"Today, the weather conditions continue to be extreme and the next hours will be critical and decisive, not just for this fire, but also for the rest of the territory," it said.
A spokesman said 21 firefighters required medical assistance overnight.
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Europe melts under heat wave
New record in France
A pharmacy sign in Carpentras, a village in southeastern France, which shortly held the country's all-time heat record of 44.3 degrees on Friday. The record was topped again later in the afternoon in the southern village of Villevieille, 100 kilometers (60 miles) to the east, which measured a thermometer-busting 45.1 degrees Celsius (113 Fahrenheit).
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Europe melts under heat wave
Scorched forests in Catalonia, Spain
Local authorities said that improperly stored chicken dung at a farm in rural northeastern Spain spontaneously combusted in the extreme heat on Wednesday, unleashing a wildfire that continued to burn on into Friday. Temperatures in the area around the fire reached 41 Celsius on Friday (106 Fahrenheit), as more than 600 firefighters battle the blaze.
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Europe melts under heat wave
Hot in the city of love
Denizens of Paris cool down in the Trocadero esplanade. Pavement absorbs heat and takes longer to cool off, which makes cities feel even hotter during a heat wave. Air conditioning is also uncommon in many cities in northern Europe, which can make being indoors unbearable, as buildings trap the heat. A 2003 heatwave in France killed 15,000 people.
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Europe melts under heat wave
Homeless at risk in Italy
A volunteer hands water to a homeless man in Milan, Italy, where the mercury has topped 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) in recent days. A heat wave alert was issued Friday in Milan, and an elderly homeless man reportedly died from heatstroke in a park near city's main train station. The extreme temperatures in Italy are expected to ease over the weekend.
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Europe melts under heat wave
River bathing in Munich
Bathers lounge on the rocky banks of the Isar river in Munich on Thursday. Last weekend, dozens of women who were bathing topless on the Isar were ordered by police to cover up, sparking a debate on public nudity. Nude beaches are common throughout Germany. The banks of the Isar should be full this weekend, with temperatures in Munich expected to reach 35 degrees Celsius (95 Fahrenheit).
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Europe melts under heat wave
Sorbet for polar bears
A polar bear cools off at the Hanover Zoo in Germany with a frozen sorbet. Zookeepers across Europe have been helping animals beat the heat with mixtures of fruit frozen in ice. Polar bears are also given frozen fish. On Thursday, France banned the transportation of live animals due to the extreme temperatures.
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Europe melts under heat wave
Sahara heat in Europe
A weather pattern that has stuck over Europe for almost a week is channeling extremely hot air from the Sahara desert northward. The World Meteorological Association said 2019 is on track to be one of the hottest years on record, and that heatwaves like the one currently scorching Europe are projected to happen more frequently.
Record-breaking heat in France
France's weather agency said temperatures in some areas of the country would reach over 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit).
Extreme temperatures have been recorded in many areas of Western Europe in the past several days. On Friday, the southern village of Villevieille registered 45.1 degrees Celsius, the hottest temperature ever recorded in France.
The heat has been caused by an unusual weather pattern over Europe that channels extremely hot air from the Sahara desert northward, according to meteorologists. Temperatures are expected to fall from Sunday.
amp/jlw (AFP, AP)
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