![Spain sounds high alert for scorching heatwave](https://www.berlinertageblatt.de/media/shared/articles/a3/8e/36/Spain-sounds-high-alert-for-scorchi-555611.jpg)
-
Coughlin clings to lead at LPGA Canadian Women's Open
-
Trump offers tech sector policy flips ahead of election
-
Spacecraft to swing by Earth, Moon on path to Jupiter
-
What's the fallout of Mexican drug lords' capture?
-
Video game makers see actors as AI 'data,' says union on strike
-
Chinese qualifier Shang to face Thompson in ATP Atlanta semis
-
Concern grows as Venezuela blocks election observers
-
'Massive attack' on French rail threatens more chaos
-
'We did it!': France breathes sigh of relief after Olympics ceremony
-
Blinken, in Laos, set for talks with Chinese foreign minister
-
Regional concern grows as Venezuela blocks vote observers
-
Historic river parade, Dion show-stopper ignite Paris Olympics
-
Rainy Paris Olympic parade dampens many spectators' spirits
-
G20 pledges to work together to tax ultra-rich
-
The one of a kind Paris opening ceremony: five memorable moments
-
Justin Timberlake seeks to dismiss DUI case
-
Warner Brothers Discovery sues NBA over Amazon rights deal
-
Kobe Bryant locker, Maradona jersey up for auction in New York
-
Historic river parade launches Paris Olympics
-
Stocks rise as US inflation data boosts rate cut hopes
-
New York family of Holocaust victim reclaims Nazi-looted art
-
NASA Mars rover captures rock that could hold fossilized microbes
-
Thousands evacuate season's biggest wildfire in northern California
-
Sinaloa Cartel co-founder pleads not guilty after stunning US capture
-
Ethiopia mourns victims of landslide tragedy
-
Lady Gaga adds sparkle to star-studded Olympic show
-
Airbus and Boeing supremacy secure despite turbulence
-
Teams sail down Seine in rain-soaked Olympics opening ceremony
-
Norris hoping for more after topping Belgian practice times
-
West Indies' treble strike rocks England in third Test
-
Trump slams rivals as he meets Netanyahu in Florida
-
Olympic opening ceremony under way on River Seine
-
Mott's England future uncertain as ECB chief fails to offer support
-
Trump meets Israeli PM Netanyahu in Florida
-
S.African police say 95 Libyans detained at suspected military camp
-
Blinken set for talks with Chinese counterpart in Laos
-
Norris heads Piastri in McLaren one-two at Belgian GP practice
-
G20 seeks common ground on taxing super-rich
-
European medicines watchdog rejects new Alzheimer's drug
-
Harris gets vital Obama backing in battle against Trump
-
Habib, Ebden eye Alcaraz and Djokovic shocks at Olympics tennis
-
Stocks rise as inflation data boosts rate cut hopes
-
Long queues, ticketing problems ahead of Paris opening ceremony
-
Two Sinaloa Cartel leaders face US charges after stunning capture
-
Spain train driver jailed for 2.5 years over deadly 2013 crash
-
Paris poised for Olympic opening ceremony spectacular
-
Judoka fails doping test in first case at Paris Olympics
-
Holder and Da Silva keep England at bay after West Indies collapse
-
Alpine F1 boss Bruno Famin to leave in August
-
Ethiopia declares three days of mourning after landslide tragedy
![Spain sounds high alert for scorching heatwave](https://www.berlinertageblatt.de/media/shared/articles/a3/8e/36/Spain-sounds-high-alert-for-scorchi-555611.jpg)
Spain sounds high alert for scorching heatwave
Most of Spain was put on high alert Wednesday as temperatures rose above 45 degrees Celsius with swathes of western Europe hit by a second heatwave in a matter of weeks.
France and Portugal have also seen scorching temperatures this week, and forest fires have broken out in all three countries.
Spain's state meteorological agency Aemet said some regions were "suffocating", especially the worst affected Andalusia in the south, Extremadura in the southwest and Galicia in the northwest.
They were all placed on high alert, meaning residents were asked to be cautious and watch the weather forecast. Travel was not advised "unless strictly necessary".
Apart from the Canary islands, all other regions of Spain were placed on lower levels of alert because of the heat.
The highest temperature in Spain on Wednesday was recorded in the Andalusian city of Almonte where the mercury hit 45.6 degrees Celsius (114.1 Fahrenheit) at 5:30 pm (1530 GMT).
Several other southern cities such as Seville and Cordoba experienced temperatures above 44 degrees Celsius.
The heatwave, which began last weekend and is expected to last until Sunday.
Forest fires have already burned at least 3,500 hectares (8,600 acres) in western Spain near the border with Portugal.
Authorities in Portugal said one person had died in wildfires, after a body was found in a burned area in the northern region of Aveiro.
In Spain, nearly 500 residents have been temporarily evacuated due to a fire northwest of Madrid, which firefighters battled to control on Wednesday, regional emergency services said.
Heatwaves have become more frequent due to climate change, scientists say. As global temperatures rise over time, they are expected to become more intense.
Spain has already suffered from drought this year, with water reserves down to 44 percent of capacity, compared to an average of 65 percent at the same period over the past 10 years.
The hottest temperature ever recorded in Spain was 47.4 Celsius last August.
W.Lapointe--BTB