Wildfires eastern Germany have severely injured two firefighters and forced the evacuation of more than 100 residents.

Nearly 500 firefighters were battling the fires that broke out Tuesday in Gohrischheide on the border between the eastern states of Saxony and Brandenburg.

Clouds build up in the early afternoon and gusty winds push in every direction. The skies darken and then comes the rain — often a downpour that is gone as quickly as it came.

This seasonal dance choreographed by Mother Nature marks a special time for the southwestern United States and Mexico. It is when residents clasp their hands, hoping for much-needed moisture to dampen the threat of wildfire and keep rivers flowing.

A fast-moving wildfire whipped by gale-force winds burned through the night and into Thursday on Greece's southern island of Crete, prompting the evacuation of more than 1,500 people from hotels and homes.

The fire department said 230 firefighters backed up by 10 water-dropping aircraft were battling the flames, which have burned through forest and farmland in Crete's Ierapetra area on the island's southern coast. Two people were evacuated by boat overnight, while six private boats were on standby in case further evacuations by sea became necessary, the coast guard said.

A relentless European heat wave helped fuel a deadly wildfire in Spain while the European Union presented plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions under scorching temperatures on Wednesday.

The blaze that broke out late on Tuesday created an enormous thick plume of ash and smoke that reached 14,000 meters (45,000 feet) of altitude, making it the largest registered by firefighters in Catalonia, a northeastern region of Spain.

A heat wave covered much of Europe on Monday, with a record-hot first day of play at Wimbledon and high winds fanning forest fires in Turkey.

Heat warnings were issued for parts of Spain, Portugal, Italy, Germany and the U.K., with new highs expected on Wednesday before rain should bring respite to some areas.

Temperatures in southern Spain soared to 46 degrees Celsius (115 degrees Fahrenheit) on Saturday, a new record for June, the national weather agency said on Monday.

The mercury climbed to its new high at 4:40 pm in Huelva, near the border with Portugal, edging out the previous record, 45.2C that was set in 1965 in Seville, it said.

Flash floods triggered by pre-monsoon rains swept away dozens of tourists in northwest Pakistan on Friday, killing at least eight people.

The nationwide death toll from rain-related incidents rose to 18 over the past 24 hours, officials said.

Italy's health ministry warned residents and tourists on Friday of soaring temperatures across the country, issuing a red alert for 21 cities this weekend.

The ministry issued its top alert for cities including the capital Rome, economic powerhouse Milan and Venice -- where the rich and famous are celebrating the wedding of Amazon tycoon Jeff Bezos.

Torrential storms in France caused two deaths, flooded Paris streets and created a leak in parliament's roof that interrupted a prime minister's speech.

"Have you noticed that it was raining?" Prime Minister François Bayrou pointed out, looking up at the National Assembly's leaking domed ceiling after delivering a speech on the Middle East as a deluge fell outside, quickly inundating Paris boulevards on Wednesday evening.

Anxiety, grief, anger, fear, helplessness. The emotional toll of climate change is broad-ranging, especially for young people.

Many worry about what the future holds, and a daily grind of climate anxiety and distress can lead to sleeplessness, an inability to focus and worse. Some young people wonder whether it's moral to bring children into the world. Many people grieve for the natural world.