French authorities evacuated around five thousand people from villages in southern France yesterday, as firefighters battled a fast-spreading wildfire that broke out during a new heatwave. The authorities said the evacuations took place in a mountain range west of the city of Perpignan, noting that the flames have destroyed 1,650 hectares of land. The fire has already forced changes to the third stage of the Tour de France, which was scheduled to pass through the affected area on Monday, as it will now take place without spectators or an accompanying advertising caravan.

For its part, the French meteorological agency warned of an increased risk of wildfires today, raising the alert level to red - the highest warning level - in seven areas in the southeast of the country, noting that 41 other areas face an increased risk of wildfires.