Wildfires destroy forests and homes - 27th July 2022

Firefighters across Europe and the US are battling wildfires. The forest blazes have ravaged tens of thousands of hectares of land, as temperatures reached record levels in Europe.

In the UK, the mercury rose above 40 degrees Celsius for the first time while in Portugal, forest fires forced residents to flee their homes.

Marcio Rodrigues's uncle had a miraculous escape.

Marcio Rodrigues: "We were in the village, where there were many people. We helped fight the flames near the village, which got really close. My uncle even had his house in danger. He stayed inside and the fire passed over him and he managed to save himself."

In the Gironde region of France, more than 14,000 people have been forced to evacuate. It's taking over 1,200 firefighters and 5 Canadair waterplanes to tackle wildfires in this one area alone.

Even in the Alps, the heat's been deadly, leading to a section of Italy's Marmolada glacier collapsing in July. The avalanche caused by the glacier giving way has killed 11 people.

In the US, tens of millions are also baking in the scorching heat, including in the traditionally cold Pacific Northwest. Cities have been forced to open cooling stations and provide support for vulnerable communities.

Meanwhile, massive forest fires ravaging California threaten the giant sequoia trees in the famous Yosemite national park.

Scientists have now established that these extreme temperatures and fires are due to climate change. On Friday 22 July, the Climate Clock, which marks the time by which we must reach zero emissions to save the planet, ticked down to just 7 years.