Flames and smoke rise above a forest in the Athens suburb of Varympompi as a fire broke out, cutting a section of the main motorway linking Athens to northern and southern Greece, as the nation reels under a severe heatwave.

At least one person has died and 16 people are injured following an explosion at a chemical park in Leverkusen in western Germany. Residents have been urged to stay indoors because of black smoke rising from the area.

Cape Town engulfed in smoke as wildfires destroy buildings

Over the past few weeks, Northern California has suffered its worst ever wildfires, which have left 42 people dead and 100,000 hectares up in smoke.