- France is grappling with its most challenging period since the Second World War , according to President Emmanuel Macron , as firefighters battle relentless wildfires ahead of a scorching 40C heatwave .
- The French president urged fire crews to "stay strong" as they attempt to bring the "unprecedented" blazes under control.
- Firefighters have less than a day to contain the inferno before the heatwave sweeps the southwest of the country, bringing hot, dry conditions that could exacerbate the situation.
- More than 360,000 people have been evacuated across France and Spain due to the widespread fires, as Europe endures one of its hottest summers on record.
- Authorities have cautioned that the blazes, raging just 15km outside Bordeaux , could persist for months, requiring crews from across the nation to rotate in to extinguish them.
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