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.

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.

Wildfires have been raging across Europe over the past few days, with several countries, such as Italy and Spain, experiencing severe heatwaves.

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,