Europe's heatwave eases from record highs even as blaze in Spain continues

Meteorologists say a weakening of the high-level jet stream is increasingly causing weather systems to stall and leading summer temperatures to soar

A four-day heatwave across western Europe that killed seven people began to ease slightly on Sunday, as temperature alerts were cut back and wildfires slowly brought under control.

Most of the fires that had broken out Spain in recent days were stabilized, but firefighters were struggling to control a blaze in the central provinces of Toledo and Madrid that had burned more than 20 sq km (8 sq miles) since Friday.

In the northeastern town of La Almunia de Dona Godina, the temperature hit a scorching 42.4 Celsius (108.3 Fahrenheit). But five of Spain’s 50 provinces were downgraded from “extreme” weather risk,