Today in Spain: A roundup of the latest news on Wednesday

Two killed and dozens injured in Spanish wildfires

Two men have died and thousands were forced from their homes as wildfires fuelled by a heatwave scorched Spain.

An employee of a Spanish equestrian centre died from his injuries in Tres Cantos, a wealthy suburb north of Madrid, officials said - reportedly as he tried to save horses.

Later, officials in Zamora in Castilla y León confirmed another man had been killed while fighting fires.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said on X that rescue services were "working tirelessly to extinguish the fires" and warned: "We are at extreme risk of forest fires. Please be very cautious."

Some 5,000 people evacuated from their homes, most of them in Castilla y León. The fire situation in Palencia, Toledo, Jarilla (Cáceres), and Ourense is also a cause for concern, with 12 active outbreaks, where thousands of residents are confined due to smoke.

Heat alerts were issued in Spain, Italy, France, Spain, Portugal and the Balkans, with temperatures expected to soar above 40C.

The heatwave is another sign of climate change, which is fuelling longer, more intense and increasingly frequent bouts of extreme heat.

"Thanks to climate change, we now live in a significantly warmer world," Akshay Deoras, a research scientist at the meteorology department in Britain's University of Reading told AFP, adding that "many still underestimate the danger".

Ministry of the Interior's Civil Protection Department shows that so far this year, at least four people have died in Spain due to wildfires.

Spain evacuates 44 wounded or ill children from Gaza

Spain has evacuated 44 wounded or ill children from war-torn Gaza along with about 100 of their relatives over the past several months, the government said Tuesday.

Four separate evacuation missions were carried out in coordination with international organisations and allied nations, Spain's migration ministry, which led the operations, said in a statement.

The children and their families have been relocated across Spain to receive medical treatment, it added.

Those brought to Spain will be eligible to apply for asylum.

Migration Minister Elma Saiz said the operations demonstrated that "solidarity and international cooperation save lives".

Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's government has been among the most vocal critics in the European Union of Israel's ongoing military campaign in Gaza.

The war was triggered by an unprecedented cross-border attack by Hamas into Israel on October 7th, 2023, which resulted in the death of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official data.

In response, Israel launched an offensive that has killed at least 61,499 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to data from the Hamas-run territory's health ministry.

Experts warn of intense storms following heatwave in Spain

Spain has been immersed in a heat wave for over a week, keeping temperatures above 40C in much of the country. In recent days, temperatures have reached over 42C in some areas, including Gran Canaria, Córdoba, Toledo, Seville, and Granada.

This episode of intense heat could last until the end of the week, according to a report by the State Meteorological Agency, Aemet.

These conditions are also forecast to give rise to intense storms. This Wednesday August 13th, the arrival of an Atlantic trough will trigger increased atmospheric instability.

Showers and thunderstorms are expected in the northern half and eastern third of the peninsula, "with the possibility of local storms in the rest of the country. It is likely that the northern plateau and surrounding mountains, the northeast of the peninsula and the Pyrenees will experience local storms with hail and very strong gusts," Aemet indicates.

The arrival of high pressure in the north of the country will also bring rain to the Cantabrian region and northern Galicia on Thursday, and likely thunderstorms and showers, "with the possibility of local heavy rain" in the Pyrenees.

The US excludes Spain from a strategic maritime route

The United States has excluded Spain from a strategic container shipping route, causing ships to shift to other destinations.

The port of Algeciras was part of a route exchange agreement between the East and West coasts of the United States, and ports in Japan, South Korea, China and India, essential for supply chains with economic and logistical impact.

The agreement has been in effect since last February, but was modified this summer following an amendment that eliminated Spanish participation, according to Spanish newspaper ABC.

The change comes amid an investigation by the Federal Maritime Commission in Washington into Spain's refusal last year to allow U.S. vessels into Algeciras, which were carrying goods, military equipment, and humanitarian aid bound for Israel.

With additional reporting from AFP.