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Civil defence forces in Tunisia say wildfires which spread across five provinces for several days have now been brought under control.

More than 1,000 hectares (2,471 acres) of forest in the north western province of Jendouba have been destroyed, however, firefighters still remain on alert.

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Countries around the Mediterranean are counting the cost of a week of fires fuelled by high temperatures.

In Greece, emergency services have tried to prevent new flare-ups in the central area of Magnesia.

Searing heat from wildfires triggered powerful explosions at an ammunition depot in the town of Nea Aghialos, prompting the Greek air force to evacuate fighter jets from their base on Thursday.

Tunisia has been battling wildfires with temperatures up to 49C (120F) recorded.

Read more:

• Tunisia fires: 'We had no water to douse the flames'

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Tunisian authorities say hundreds of migrants have drowned off its coast in the first half of this year.

Exact figures vary, with Reuters reporting that 901 bodies had been recovered from January to 20 July, while a separate source told the AFP the number stands at 789.

The North African country has become the main departure point for migrants trying to cross the Mediterranean to Europe.

Some 75,065 boat migrants had reached Italy by 14 July against 31,920 in the same period last year, according to Reuters citing official data - with more than half of them leaving from Tunisia.

Tunisia and the EU recently signed a deal to tackle illegal migration.

Read more about migration from North Africa here.

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Halfway between the town of Tabarka and Melloula, the Tunisian coastal village where 300 people have been evacuated because of wildfires, I came across dozens of cars parked in front of Adil El Selmy's eco-friendly restaurant.

People had rushed to express solidarity with the owner after his eatery was razed to the ground in the fires that are causing devastation in this area along the border with Algeria.

"We left the restaurant as the flames approached," Mr Selmy says.

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The water supply in Tabarka was affected last week during an unprecedented heatwave, which made things even harder for those fighting fires.

"We couldn't douse flames, hours after the wooden building was devastated,” Mr Selmi told me, looking deeply afflicted.

He employed 22 people at the restaurant and cannot see to a way forward.

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The ravaged restaurant normally overlooks the sea, however the Mediterranean can barely be seen as a haze of smoke is still blanketing the area.

Temperatures reached 48C (118F) in parts of North Africa on Monday.

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Two years since President Kaïs Saïed of Tunisia adopted sweeping powers, hundreds of his opponents have held demonstrations in the capital, Tunis.

In 2021 Mr Saïed sacked the government and suspended parliament - before later enfeebling the judiciary and arresting many of his critics.

Chanting "down with the coup" the protesters demanded the release of around 20 opposition politicians as well as journalists, activists and lawyers, most of whom have been charged with conspiring against the state.

Rights groups have described the arrests as a witch hunt.

An uprising in the North African country helped trigger the so-called Arab Spring in 2011 - and it was the region's sole democracy to emerge from the uprisings.