Wildfires rage in south-west France after record temperatures for September

Firefighters battle a wildfire near the village of Saumos (SDIS33 via AP)

New wildfires raging in south-west France have torn through more than 1,000 hectares of land and forced the evacuation of residents amid record temperatures for September.

Fires that began to rage on Monday caused the evacuation of over 500 people in the Gironde region, as a smaller blaze burned south of Bordeaux, near Dax, where temperatures reached 39C (102F).