(Bloomberg) — Thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes across Europe as deadly wildfires sparked by soaring temperatures burn down swathes of woodland and threaten to destroy homes. Fires have devastated thousands of hectares near Bordeaux, in France's Gironde wine region, as well as across southern and western Spain. While blazes in Portugal were subsiding, areas of Turkey, Croatia and Greece were also left scorched by wildfires. With Europe in the throes of an extreme heatwave, there were 360 deaths attributable to temperature-related causes in Spain from July 10-15, according to the country's Carlos III Health Institute. Portugal's health authorities said on Thursday that in the July 7-13 period the country recorded excess mortality of 238 deaths as temperatures soared. Meanwhile, the U.K. is bracing for record-breaking heat of 40° Celsius (104° Fahrenheit) on Monday, July 18, 2022, as the hot weather spreads north. More detail on the impact of the European wildfires and heatwave are included in the above slideshow. — With assistance from Joao Lima and William Horobin. Related: |

• Wildfire destroys homes in affluent California town
• Insurance leaders offer wildfire-recovery tips for property owners
• Rethinking how we look at wildfire risk

Copyright 2024 Bloomberg. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.