Firefighters battled wildfires in Turkey, forcing the evacuation of more than 50,000 residents, as an early summer heatwave hit Europe and put Spain on course for its hottest June on record.

Europe is sweltering under an intense heatwave, as temperatures soar across Spain, Portugal, France and Italy for one of the hottest summer starts ever recorded.

Health warnings were issued to tens of millions of Europeans as temperatures climbed well above 100 degrees Fahrenheit, or more than 40 degrees Celsius.