Spain still faces "difficult hours" ahead in its fight against wildfires that have ravaged a record area of land, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez warned Tuesday, despite the onset of cooler weather.

The country has faced 16 days of scorching heat, which the public health agency announced Tuesday could be linked to as many as 1,149 excess deaths -- mostly over-65s and those already suffering from illnesses.

The most intense heat, when temperatures surpassed 40C in many regions of Spain, has now passed but Sanchez urged people to "exercise extreme caution", adding: "Critical moments remain, difficult hours remain."

Global warming is driving longer, more intense, and more frequent heatwaves around the world.

By lowering humidity in the air, vegetation, and soil, and reducing the threshold at

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