AP Wire
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Dangerous heat was hitting parts of the Western U.S. this weekend, prompting warnings for people to stay inside and heightening wildfire risks in many areas. A high-pressure ridge is holding heat close to the ground from Arizona to Montana. Meteorologists say the good news is that it will be relatively short-lived. The National Weather Service on Saturday forecast high temps in a variety of cities. By late afternoon, Las Vegas reached 115 degrees Fahrenheit (46 degrees Celsius), the highest temperature of the year.

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Two new studies reveal climate change's fingerprints over extreme fire weather-triggering infernos in Spain and France. Researchers at World Weather Attribution found human-caused climate change made Spain's record fire 20 times more likely and doubled the chances of extreme fire conditions in France. Another study shows extreme fire-prone days in Southern Europe have more than doubled compared to decades ago. Experts emphasize that climate change is already impacting fire severity and stress the need to stop burning fossil fuels.

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As wildfires and successive heatwaves in France and Spain highlight climate change's impact, a severe drought is causing record low water levels on the Danube River, affecting tourism and industry. The river, which flows through 10 countries, has receded to unprecedented lows, exposing rocks and old shipwrecks. In Budapest, the Danube was measured at just 23 centimeters, breaking previous records. River cruise ships are docking upriver, and sightseeing cruises have been canceled. The drought has also affected Hungary and Romania's nuclear power plant operations, exposed a World War II bomb, and ended the summer season for excursion boat operators in Serbia.