Spain in grip of heatwave as Canary Island wildfire rages on

Spain is in the grip of its third heatwave of the summer, with temperatures set to reach highs of 44 degrees Celsius in parts of the north-east and the Balearic Islands on Tuesday, reported Xinhua.

Tuesday's high temperatures come after a high of 44.5 degrees was measured in the city of Cordoba (southern Spain) on Monday. This is the highest temperature recorded in the city in 2023, while a July high of 42.8 degrees was recorded in Toledo (central Spain).

"In Spain we will have very high temperatures: unusual despite us already being in the warmest period of the year. In some places, they could exceed 42-44 degrees." said the Spanish state meteorological agency AEMET.

New records could be reached due to a mass of hot air which has pushed into Spain and other Mediterranean countries from Africa, with temperatures predicted to reach 46 degrees on the Italian islands of Sardinia and Sicily. Meanwhile, Greece has been badly affected by wildfires.

The heatwave is expected to last until Thursday, with all of Spain apart from the north and north-west currently under 'Extreme' alerts for potential wildfires.

A wildfire that began on the Canary Island of La Palma was still active on Tuesday, after burning over 3,500 hectares of land (slightly less than was originally thought) on the north-west of the island.

The blaze has destroyed around 20 houses and buildings. However, 4,000 residents who were evacuated from their homes last Saturday have now been allowed to return to their homes.