Spain and France are at high risk of more wildfires in coming days, according to weather forecasters, while still fighting to contain deadly blazes that have already ignited amid soaring summer temperatures.

Spanish weather agency AEMET warned on Wednesday that the danger of wildfires was “very high or extreme” across most of mainland Spain and the Balearic Islands.

Wildfires have already burned more land this year in Europe than the annual average over the past two decades, data shows. The world’s fastest-warming continent has endured three stifling, virtually back-to-back heatwaves so far this year.

Scientists say human-driven climate change is increasing the intensity of heatwaves, droughts and wildfires, while also creating conditions for sudden, destructive storms.

Firefighters in central Spain are fighting a wildfire that has burned over 32,000 hectares (79,000 acres) in one of the country’s largest blazes on record.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez visited the fire-ravaged area in Guadalajara on Wednesday and called for a pact between political parties to fight climate change.

In France, less severe temperatures and lighter winds aided efforts to fight a wildfire that has burned 2,500 hectares in the southeastern Var region, damaging dozens of houses and forcing 400 people to flee their homes.

But the risk of more wildfires remains very high in western and southwestern France for the rest of the week, official weather forecaster Meteo-France said.

Extreme weather continued to spark warnings and restrictions in other European countries, including Italy, Greece and Cyprus.

Source: www.aljazeera.com