Temperatures soared across much of Europe on Sunday, with firefighters battling massive blazes and droughts raising alarms in multiple countries as residents battle to stay cool.

Large parts of Europe have been hit by prolonged heat and drought, lowering river levels and raising concerns about water supplies, river transport and power generation.

Europe is the world’s fastest-warming continent, with temperatures increasing at twice the speed as the global average since the 1980s, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service.

An extreme heatwave has also hit Israel.

The Israel Meteorological Service said Saturday that the highest temperature of the day was recorded in the Jordan Valley at 45.2°C (113°F), with Tiberias hitting a high of 42.5°C (109°F) and Jerusalem maxing out at a relatively cool 36.1°C (97°F), with a slight rise in temperatures expected on Sunday.

The Jordan Valley and the eastern flank of the country stretching from Eilat to Metula are under an extreme heat warning issued by the IMS, while the rest of the country is under moderate and mild heat warnings.

In nearby Greece, firefighters continued to battle multiple wildfires on Sunday believed to have devastated swaths of forest and agricultural land, with the prime minister warning of “extremely difficult” days ahead.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Greece had faced “extreme weather conditions and winds” that often reached 100 kilometers (62 miles) an hour.

“When the winds blow with such force, even the dozens of aircraft we have at our disposal cannot operate safely,” he wrote on Facebook. “There are moments when nature and the intensity of weather phenomena surpass any human planning and any operational capability.”

Nearly 500 firefighters were battling blazes around the popular coastal village of Porto Germeno, some 70 kilometers (45 miles) northwest of Athens, the fire department said.

They were also attempting to keep the fire from approaching the western outskirts of Athens after it scaled a mountain overnight.

Some 100 firefighters were fighting another blaze in Aigialia in the........

© The Times of Israel