Wildfires are raging across Europe as temperatures soared above 45C (113F) in some parts of the continent.
More than 6,000 people were evacuated from campsites as firefighters tackled two wildfires in the Gironde region in south-west France.
The biggest of the two fires is around the town of Landiras, south of Bordeaux, where roads have been closed and 500 residents evacuated.
The other one is along the Atlantic Coast, close to the iconic "Dune du Pilat" - the tallest sand dune in Europe - located in the Arcachon Bay area where heavy clouds of dark smoke were seen rising in the sky.
That fire led to the preventive evacuation of 6,000 people from five surrounding campsites. They were taken to a local exhibition centre for shelter.
On the eve of Bastille Day, the Gironde prefecture has forbidden all fireworks until Monday in towns and villages near forests.
In Portugal, major motorways and side streets were blocked by authorities in the city of Leiria as strong winds made it harder for firefighters to tackle flames.
Portugal's most important motorway, connecting its capital Lisbon to Porto, was also blocked due to another fire farther north.
Nearly 900 firefighters were tackling three active blazes in Leiria alone, while in the whole of mainland Portugal there were 2,841 firefighters on the ground and 860 vehicles.
More than 3,000 hectares have burned so far in Leiria.
In Portugal's southern Algarve region, popular with tourists, a fire broke out in the city of Faro and spread to the Quinta do Lago luxury resort. Videos shared online showed flames edging close to villas, burning palm trees and parts of golf courses.
About half of drought-hit Portugal will remain on red alert for extreme heat conditions on Thursday, with the highest temperatures expected in the Santarem and Castelo Branco districts, the IPMA weather institute said.
Wednesday's highest temperature was registered in the central town of Lousa at 46.3C (115F), one degree below a record set in 2003.
Retiree Antonio Ramalheiro blamed inadequate forest management in addition to the heat wave for the wildfires.
"It is scary when the fire comes," the 62-year-old said. "If it reaches the house it is a disgrace...you lose everything."
At least 135 people have suffered mainly minor injuries since wildfires began in Portugal last week, and about 800 people have been evacuated from their homes, according to the Civil Protection Authority.
The Portuguese government has declared a state of heightened alert that will run until Friday.
It is just five years since widespread wildfires in Portugal killed more than 100 people.
In Spain's western region of Extremadura bordering Portugal, firefighters battled a blaze that swept into Salamanca province in the region of Castile and Leon, burning more than 4,000 hectares.
Parts of the Extremadura, Andalusia and Galicia regions were on red alert for extreme heat, Spain's AEMET meteorology service said, adding the country's highest temperature on Wednesday stood at 45.6C (114F) in Huelva province.
The World Meteorological Organisation warned on Tuesday that the heat wave was spreading and intensifying in large parts of Europe.
With human-caused climate change triggering droughts, the number of extreme wildfires is expected to increase by 30% within the next 28 years, according to a February 2022 report by the UN.
The EU says climate change is leading to one of the toughest years for natural disasters among member states.
