Temperatures rise above 40C as Europe hit by heatwave and wildfires

Smoke and flames rise from trees burning in a wildfire near Montenegro’s capital of Podgorica (Risto Bozovic/AP)

A heatwave gripping parts of Europe sent temperatures over 40C in southern France and the Western Balkans on Monday, fuelling wildfires, triggering top-level weather alerts and forcing evacuations in several countries across what scientists warn is the world’s fastest-warming continent.

Fires burned in France’s Aude wine region, along Bulgaria’s southern borders, near Montenegro’s capital and coast, and in Turkey’s north west — and Hungary recorded record-breaking weekend temperatures.