France battles huge wildfires, Britain bakes in record heatwave

A shepherd watches a fire burning a wheat field between Tabara and Losacio, during the second heatwave of the year, in the province of Zamora, Spain, July 18, 2022. REUTERS/Isabel Infantes

LONDON/PARIS (Reuters) - Firefighters in southwestern France battled on Tuesday to contain massive forest wildfires and Britain recorded its highest ever temperature, while Portugal reported more than 1,000 heatwave-related deaths as Europe scorches.

Southern and western Germany and Belgium were also braced for potentially record-breaking temperatures as the heatwave, which scientists attribute to climate change, edged north and east.