Wildfires are burning in parts of Europe, displacing thousands, as water-dropping planes and helicopters swoop overhead and residents join the effort, beating back flames with cut branches or

This year is turning into one of the worst fire seasons in recent memory in Europe. Firefighters are struggling to contain out-of-control wildfires in western Spain and Portugal.

Firefighters across Spain, Portugal, Greece, Turkey and the Balkans were battling wildfires on Tuesday, with another heatwave pushing temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) across parts of Europe.

Southern Europe is facing a devastating wildfire season as intense flames fueled by a combination of high temperatures, strong winds, and potential human or natural causes sweep across multiple countries.

Spain and Portugal were the worst-affected countries in Europe, which has seen its most destructive wildfire season in nearly 20 years.

By that same date, Europe had witnessed almost 1,900 wildfires compared with an average of 470 for the 2006-2021 period. A passenger shared this footage of wildfires surrounding his train in Spain.

Smoke from wildfires in Southern Europe has brought hazy conditions to the UK, disrupting the current heatwave, forecasters have said. The UK experienced the fourth heatwave of the summer this week, with some areas seeing the mercury climb above 33C in the hottest places.

The fires have ravaged small, sparsely populated towns in the country's northwest, forcing locals in many cases to act as firefighters. About 2,382 square miles have burned across Spain and Portugal.