Europe's hot, dry summer takes its toll with fires in France and Greece, and drought in the UK

Europe is grappling with a record-breaking hot and dry summer

Water-dropping planes swooped over a major wildfire west of Athens Monday, a day after a midair collision between two firefighting helicopters killed two crew members.

Wildfires west of Athens jumped containment lines, a day after a midair collision between two helicopters killed two crew members.

Europe's hot, dry summer takes its toll with fires in France and Greece, and drought in the UK  AP News

Strong winds returned to southern Greece late Monday, pushing flames into mountain home clusters, destroying farms and property, and closing a highway

A record-breaking hot and dry summer tightened its grip on Europe Monday, as water-dropping planes swooped over a major wildfire in Greece, firefighters in France sought to stabilize a blaze in Provence and much of the U.K. recorded its driest July in nearly two centuries.

For Greece, the danger carried grim resonance: a 2018 wildfire​ at the seaside community of Mati​, near Athens, killed 104 people.

A wildfire in Provence continues spreading despite emergency services keeping it from nearby towns. Meanwhile, 400 firefighters battle winds-fueled fires threatening a coastal resort in Greece.