People who are currently in or who are planning to travel to Spain have been issued an "extreme danger" warning, as a heatwave that begun at the start of August continues to bring sweltering temperatures to the European country.

In a new alert on Friday, August 15, Spain's national weather agency AEMET said there is now a "very high or extreme fire danger in most of the country". The post from AEMET on X, formerly Twitter, adds: "The danger will remain at very high or extreme levels during the weekend and Monday, days when the heatwave affecting us since the beginning of the month continues."

Thousands of people have been evacuated, with the heatwave caused by a mass of dry, warm air moving over the country, combined with typical summer sunshine. Heat warnings have been in place for much of the country in recent days, with the extreme conditions causing wildfires.

On Monday night fire crews battled a blaze just outside of Madrid, which killed a man who suffered burns on 98% of his body, authorities said.

A post from AEMET on Thursday evening delivers a "special warning" for the heatwave, adding that it will be "exceptionally warm Friday in the Cantabrian region" and with "very intense heat" in the rest of the country until Monday. AEMET also said: "It is likely that Monday will be the last day of the heat wave, with more normal temperatures afterward."

The UK's Foreign Office says on its website that people should "be aware of your environment when visiting or driving through woodland areas" and adds: "For information on what to do in the event of a wildfire, visit Civil Protection (website in Spanish).

"Immediately report any fire you see to the emergency services on 112. In the case of wildfires, the situation can change quickly, so you should stay up to date with official advice."