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DAILY MAIL🧵: 'Apocalyptic' wildfire closes in on Marseille, tornadoes form in the Med and Greece shuts Acropolis amid 42C heatwave while SNOW falls in Switzerland as Europe's extreme weather continues

Europe is once again being battered by extreme weather with 'apocalyptic' wildfires raging towards Marseille, tornadoes forming in the Med and even snow falling in Switzerland.

Out-of-control fires fuelled by strong winds are closing in on the southern French city with scores of firefighters deployed in a race against time to dampen flames before they reach homes on the outskirts.

Dramatic pictures show smoke blanketed over the city of 873,000 while officials have already closed the area's main airport.

Meanwhile, other freak weather events were seen across the continent, including in Croatia, Greece, Spain Switzerland, and Turkey. 

Croatia saw towering waterspouts form across its coast, while tens of thousands in Spain's Tarragona were instructed to remain protected indoors as raging fires burned 3,000 hectares (7,413 acres) of vegetation to a crisp.

The Marseille wildfire, currently on the outskirts of the coastal city, has so far burned 700 hectares and damaged more than 10 buildings, a local official told reporters on Tuesday.

Georges-Francois Leclerc, the prefect for the area, added that there have been no reported fatalities in the fire.
Earlier, the city's airport was forced to closed at around midday local time, and no aircraft have been allowed to land or take off from the regional travel hub.

A combination of high temperatures and winds has started a series of wildfires across the country, including on the island of Cyprus. 

Dozens of fire engines and firefighting planes and helicopters were sent to battle ever-growing flames that are lashing across the Paphos region of the island. 

Terrifying footage showed plumes of grey smoke billowing into the sky as firefighting planes and helicopters dropped water on flames.

Blazes also cropped up in Turkey, with its interior minister Ali Yerlikaya revealing on Friday that Turkish authorities arrested 10 suspects in relation to wildfires that broke out across the country. 

But over in Switzerland, an unusually wintry scene was spotted in the mountains where snow fell on the Stevio Pass. 

Temperatures on the Alps dropped unusually low following a heatwave in the country.

Spanish authorities ordered more than 18,000 residents of the northeastern Tarragona province to remain indoors on Tuesday and several dozen were evacuated as a wildfire raged out of control, consuming almost 3,000 hectares (7,413 acres) of vegetation.

Large parts of Spain are on high alert for wildfires after the country experienced its hottest June on record. Two people died in a wildfire on July 1 in the region of Catalonia where Tarragona is located.

The Marseille wildfire, currently on the outskirts of the coastal city, has so far burned 700 hectares and damaged more than 10 buildings, a local official told reporters on Tuesday.

Georges-Francois Leclerc, the prefect for the area, added that there have been no reported fatalities in the fire.

dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1…

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