A heat wave hitting the West, sending temperatures soaring past the century mark, is expected to persist into the weekend, with the most intense and prolonged heat expected in the Desert Southwest.

Wildfires have so far ravaged more than one million hectares in the European Union in 2025, a record since statistics began in 2006, according to an AFP analysis of official data.

Firefighters in Portugal continue to battle four major wildfires across northern and central Portugal, with officials confirming a third death since late July.