Wildfires wreaked destruction across southern Europe, burning homes and forcing thousands of residents and tourists to flee.

The dangerous heat is the result of a large high-pressure system drawing in warm, dry air over the Continent, and it could last through at least Monday in some places.

Wildfires intensified across southern Europe on Wednesday with a round-the-clock battle to protect the perimeter of Greece's third-largest city and at least three deaths reported in Spain, Turkey and Albania.