Wildfires fanned by a heatwave and strong winds wreaked destruction across southern Europe, burning homes and forcing thousands of residents and tourists to flee.

Countries such as Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece have seen highs of more than 40 degrees Celsius in recent days.

A Romanian boy has become the latest victim of wildfires sweeping over Europe in the last week. The four-year-old was on holiday with his parents in the Italian village of Olmedo, in the northwest of Sardinia,