Southern California faces a heatwave with temperatures forecast to exceed average levels by up to 10 degrees inland.

Long-term watches and warnings have been issued across most of Southern California in anticipation of the extreme heat and fire danger set to hit the region on Wednesday. “This is a nasty forecast for a number of reasons,

Thursday and Friday are expected to be peak heat days, with triple-digit temperatures expected nearly everywhere but the coast.

Phoenix braces for a heatwave with temperatures projected to exceed 100°F, raising concerns for heat-related illnesses.

The fires have ravaged small, sparsely populated towns in the country's northwest, forcing locals in many cases to act as firefighters. About 2,382 square miles have burned across Spain and Portugal.

With a heat wave expected to begin Wednesday, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health warned people to avoid ocean waters at several beaches due to high bacteria levels.

City planners say the day when temperatures as high as 122 degrees Fahrenheit, or 50 Celsius, could stall the French capital is not far off. They are already starting to prepare.