It’s only 6 a.m., and parts of Portugal are already feeling like an oven. In some places, the day begins at nearly 30ºC, and the heat barely lets up through the night. Sleep becomes nearly impossible.

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.

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.

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.

In Aude, a region of vineyards and Mediterranean scrubland, hundreds of firefighters remain on hillsides, guarding the edges of a massive blaze that scorched 16,000 hectares last week. Officials state the flames are under control,