Extreme heat grips southern Europe, fire breaks out in Syria

On Wednesday, July 12, a fire broke out at a field near the Euphrates River due to extremely high temperatures. 

The field near the village of Tawayhinah in Syria's northern Raqa governorate burned for hours on Wednesday before the firefighters extinguished the fire. 

Firefighters reached the site after some time and battled the fire for a couple of hours before finally extinguishing it. 

Smoke surrounded the region. Carcasses of birds and small animals were found after the fire was put out. 

Southern Europe is also facing extreme heat waves. Temperature is expected to surpass 40 degrees Celcius (104F) in parts of Spain, France, Greece, Croatia and Turkey.

In Italy, temperatures are expected to reach 48.8 degrees Celcius (119.8F). A red alert warning has been issued for 10 cities, including Rome, Bologna and Florence.

Authorities have urged people to drink at least two litres of water a day. People have also been advised to avoid coffee and alcohol, as they can be dehydrating. 

Lately, several countries across the world have been facing extreme weather conditions.

From heavy rains in China, Japan and India to wildfires in Canada and volcanic eruptions in Iceland, extreme weather conditions have gripped several nations of the world.