By KATHY McCORMACK and SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN Associated Press
Utah is restricting fireworks as the largest wildfire in the nation continues to grow. The Cottonwood Fire in southern Utah started Monday and has reached nearly 111 square miles and is zero percent contained. Dry, windy conditions are fueling wildfire growth across much of the western United States. The National Weather Service issued a rare "Particularly Dangerous Situation" for a section of Utah, urging preparation for rapid fire growth. Red flag warnings also are in effect for parts of California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Idaho. Authorities are urging caution as extreme fire conditions persist.
France recorded its hottest day ever as an early heat wave gripped Europe. The high temperatures on Tuesday prompted the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre museum to restrict visiting hours. They also disrupted school and transportation schedules in multiple countries. The punishing conditions extended to the United Kingdom and Spain, where weather agencies issued alerts — like France — about the risks of extreme heat for tens of millions of people. France's national thermal indicator — an average of temperatures measured at 30 weather stations — hit a record of 29.8 C (85.6 F). The conditions were likely to persist at least until the weekend.
Tropical Storm Arthur is the first of the Atlantic season and threatens the southern United States with dangerous flash flooding. The National Hurricane Center announced the storm Wednesday and said Arthur would skirt over the Gulf Coast with heavy rain through Friday. The storm loomed over a World Cup match in Houston between Portugal and the Democratic Republic of Congo. It also formed amid days of heavy rain that has been drenching southern Texas. Authorities near Houston said a teenager appears to have drowned in a retention pond Tuesday following a period of heavy rain earlier in the week.
 U.S. meteorologists say an El Nino has formed. That's the natural warming of parts of the Pacific that changes weather around the globe. It is likely to a major factor in extreme and deadly weather across the planet for the next year or so. The one announced Thursday is expected to rival the record and costly 1997-98 El Nino. It is usually strongest in the wintertime, and it makes it incredibly likely that 2027 will set a record for the hottest year globally. The United Nations secretary-general says El Niño conditions will pour fuel on the fire of a warming world.
