As heat waves batter Europe, the need (or not) for air-conditioning has become part of the political tug of war in France between the right and the left.

A heat wave gripping parts of Europe sent temperatures over 40 degrees Celsius (109.4 Fahrenheit) in southern France and the Western Balkans on Monday, fueling wildfires, triggering top-level weather alerts and forcing evacuations in several countries across what scientists warn is the world’s fastest-warming continent.

Fires burned in France’s Aude wine region, along Bulgaria’s southern borders, near Montenegro’s capital and coast, and in Turkey’s northwest — and Hungary recorded record-breaking weekend temperatures.

PARIS (AP) — A heat wave gripped parts of Europe on Monday, sending temperatures up to 43 degrees Celsius (109.4 Fahrenheit) in southern France and increasing risks of wildfires in wine country, while Bulgaria suffered blazes along its southern borders and Hungary saw record-breaking weekend temperatures.

A heat wave gripping parts of Europe sent temperatures over 109.4 degrees Fahrenheit — 40 degrees Celsius — in southern France and the Western Balkans on Monday.

The national weather authority has placed multiple departments on high heat alert, while officials warn of worsening air quality in several regions, including Marseille, Paris and parts of southern France.

France is on high alert as an ongoing heat wave worsens air pollution in several regions, including Marseille, Paris, and parts of the south. This August 11, temperatures reached 109°F (43°C) in Charente and Aude,