Europe burns and fires rage across London as 40C exceeded

Temperatures hit 47C in Portugal, a new national record for July, while Italian authorities are warning of temperatures to go as high as 42C by the end of the week.

Firefighters try to extinguish a wildfire next to the village of Tabara, near Zamora, northern Spain. Picture: Miguel Riopa/Getty Images

Fires raged across London as Britain shattered its high-temperature records, while the heatwave across continental Europe continued on its raging path.

The London Fire Brigade declared the English capital as a "major incident" zone following a number of fires, as forecasters ominously predicted temperatures could go as high as 42C, having broken the 40C mark for the first time.