Europe heatwave: Firefighters in Spain struggle to contain wildfires

Firefighters in Spain struggled to contain wildfires on Sunday amid an unusual heat wave in western Europe for this time of year.

In central-north Navarra, authorities have evacuated some 15 small villages as a precaution, as the high temperatures in the area are not expected to drop until Wednesday.

They also asked farmers to stop using heavy machinery that could unintentionally spark a fire.

The worst damage in Spain has been in the northwest province of Zamora where over 25-thousand hectares (61-thousand acres) have been consumed, regional authorities said.

Military firefighting units have been deployed in Zamora, Navarra and Lleida.

There have been no reports of lives lost, but the flames reached the outskirts of some villages in both Zamora and Navarra.

Wildfires were also active in three parts of northeast Catalonia: in Lleida, in Tarragona and in a nature park in Garraf, just south of Barcelona.

Firefighters said they have responded to over 200 different wildfires just in Catalonia over the past week.

Spanish authorities said that after three days of high temperatures, high winds and low humidity, some respite came with dropping temperatures Sunday morning.

Spain has been sweltering under record temperatures for June in many parts of the country.

Experts link the abnormally hot period for Europe to climate change.

Thermometers have risen above 40 C (104 F) in many Spanish cities throughout the week - temperatures usually expected in August.

A lack of rainfall this year combined with gusting winds have produced the conditions for the fires.