Sharjah24 - AFP: A punishing heatwave broke a string of records in France and Britain on Friday as Spain battled to contain forest fires that forced hundreds from their homes.
The hot weather is in line with warnings from scientists that heatwaves will be more intense and hit earlier than usual thanks to climate change.
In Spain, forest fires burned nearly 9,000 hectares (22,240 acres) of land in the northwest Sierra de la Culebra region Friday, forcing some 200 people from their homes, regional authorities said.
And more than 3,000 people were evacuated from the Puy du Fou theme park in central Spain due to a fierce fire nearby.
Firefighters were battling fires in several other regions, including woodlands in Catalonia where weather conditions complicated the fight.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez praised firefighters "who risk their lives on the frontline of fires" on Friday, which is also World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought.
Temperatures were above 35 Celsius (95 Fahrenheit) Friday in most parts of the country and will top 40C in some areas.
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