The extreme temperatures, ongoing drought and strong winds in many regions of Europe are creating an unprecedented crisis in countries, including Britain, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece and Turkey.

The prolonged weather conditions Europe has been facing favour the rapid spread of fire, causing serious damage to the natural environment, homes and infrastructure. Lives have been lost, not only from local communities, but also from those directly involved in fighting the fires.

Thousands of people have so far had to evacuate their homes, with many losing all they own to the fires. Pristine forests, vast areas of agricultural land, livestock and wildlife have all been lost, and the devastating fires continue.

We endeavour to cover major events, especially when the public needs to be kept informed, but it is becoming increasingly difficult to cover all the wildfires that are springing up across vast swathes of Europe.

However, the greatest story we can publicise is the bravery and commitment of all the thousands of firefighters across the regions who continue to put their lives at risk to prevent losses to others. We all owe a major debt of gratitude to all those on the front line and wish them a safe return.