A new heatwave has gripped parts of Europe, sending temperatures up to 43 degrees Celsius (109.4 degrees Fahrenheit), with wildfires wreaking havoc and forcing evacuations as the impact of global warming is keenly felt on the continent.

Firefighters in northwestern Spain struggled on Monday to contain a wildfire that damaged an ancient Roman mining site and forced hundreds of residents to flee.

Regional Environment Minister Juan Carlos Suarez-Quinones said the firefighting effort near the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Las Medulas faced “many difficulties” due to high temperatures and winds of up to 40 kilometres per hour (25 miles per hour).

Extreme heat and strong winds caused “fire whirls”. “This occurs when temperatures reach around 40 degrees Celsius [104F] in a very confined va

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