Wildfires across Portugal, Spain, France, Greece and other countries have forced mass evacuations and threatened the Tour de France.
The fires, which have already devastated more than 20,000 hectares (50,000 acres) of land, come as the region has just come out of major heat waves in May and June that have been blamed for thousands of deaths.
French authorities ban spectators at Tour de France stage
In southwestern France, 10,500 people were told to evacuate their homes near Perpignan amid a wildfire in the Pyrenees that has ravaged more than 4,600 hectares.
Monday's third stage of the Tour de France cycle race through the Pyrenees is to take part without spectators amid the threat of fire, authorities said.The fire near Perpignan is threatening the Tour de France cycling raceImage: Bruna Casas/REUTERS
