News Summary at 3:13 a.m. EDT

Firefighters were battling multiple fires across central England during what the U.K. recorded as its hottest day of the year, as hot weather gripped Europe. In the West Midlands, the outbreak included several houses burned down in Stourbridge, where a child and three firefighters were taken to hospital after a wildfire, according to authorities. Fire officer Simon Tuhill said the incident was “one of the most significant” the region’s fire service has dealt with. The cause of the blazes is still under determination and crews expected the fires to take days to bring under control. Weather conditions were extreme, with the mercury reaching 38.1°C (100.6°F) in west London on Thursday.