LONDON — A fierce heatwave sweeping Europe claimed at least four lives Tuesday, with two killed in a wildfire in Spain’s Catalonia region and two more in France directly linked to the extreme temperatures.

The blaze in Torrefeta, Spain, scorched 40km of land, destroyed farms, and proved hard to contain due to violent winds and storm-driven clouds, officials said. Barcelona authorities are also probing if a street worker’s death was heat-related.

France reported 300 hospitalisations alongside the two fatalities, as temperatures soared to 39°C in some areas. Red heat alerts remain for parts of central France, while storms are forecast in the east.

Italy issued red alerts for 18 cities, with Florence expected to hit 39°C, and storms threatening Sardinia and Sicily.

Switzerland shut down one reactor at Beznau nuclear plant and cut output at another due to overheated river water used for cooling.

Meteorologists say the unusually early and intense heatwave — exacerbated by climate change — also sparked wildfires in Turkey and comes after Europe’s hottest June in decades.