At least 188 people have died in some of the worst floods Europe has seen in 200 years. The cleanup has started in western Germany and Belgium as waters recede. Authorities say they expect to find more victims. And there are concerns about the vast amounts of floodwater in river catchments, so downstream residents have been evacuated. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who visited the area overnight, said “I can almost say that the German language doesn’t have words for the destruction that’s been wreaked.” These pictures show what she’s getting at. Many leaders are pointing fingers at climate change with heavy rainfall and floods also affecting Switzerland, Luxembourg, Austria and the Netherlands. It’s also on the minds of those in Northern Ireland, which recorded a record high temperature of 31.2C in Ballywatticock. And speaking of extreme conditions, there are now more than 70 fires burning on America’s west coast. The largest is in California and southern Oregon as dry forests, strong winds and hot weather make the blaze difficult to get under control.

Image source: Reuters