France, June 30 -- A heatwave has gripped southern Europe, prompting authorities to issue health and wildfire warnings. Firefighters in France have been mobilised to tackle early summer fires and 84 of the country's 101 administrative areas have been put on heat alert.

France, Italy, Portugal and Spain have been sweltering for several days and several regions are on red alert. In Spain, temperatures reached 46C Saturday in El Granado.

The heatwaveis driven by a heat dome - a strong anticyclone that traps warm air and prevents cooler systems from entering.

Only a small sliver of the country in the northwest was not sweltering, according to the Meteo France weather service, which said the heatwavewas due to peak on Tuesday and Wednesday....