Heatwave grips Mediterranean as fires hit Spain, Switzerland and Greece

Several countries in southern Europe are sweating through a new heatwave, amplified by climate change, which is expected to persist for days

Tourists cool off at the Lions fountain in Rome (Gregorio Borgia/AP)

Residents and tourists at Mediterranean destinations have been told to stay indoors as a second heatwave in as many weeks hits the region – and as Greece, Spain and Switzerland battle wildfires.

In Italy, Red Cross teams checked on the elderly by phone while in Portugal they took to social media to tell people not to leave pets or children in parked cars.