Rachel Keenan

Prince William expressed sympathy for people affected by severe wildfires in France, Spain and the UK and thanked firefighters, emergency workers and volunteers. Fires threatened areas near Bordeaux and Madrid while a large blaze affected Scotland’s Cairngorms National Park. Authorities warned that forecast temperatures of up to 40°C could worsen the situation, with UK officials preparing for further fires amid an approaching heatwave and persistently dry conditions. The UK Government offered military assistance to Scotland, but First Minister John Swinney said the offer was unnecessary and criticized the lack of suitable Ministry of Defence aircraft for dropping water.