Strengthening winds and bone-dry conditions were hindering firefighters working to gain control of a stubborn wildfire burning in a forested stretch along the New York-New Jersey state border about 50 miles (80 km) northwest of New York City.

The Jennings Creek fire is currently burning across 3,500 acres, officials said, and is expected to grow to over 5,000 acres.

By Brendan O'Brien and Maria Tsvetkova (Reuters) -Rainfall did little to slow a wildfire burning on the border of New York and New Jersey on Monday, officials said, as strong winds helped the fire grow.

Spain closed schools and evacuated residents as heavy rains lashed the country Wednesday, two weeks after its worst floods in a generation killed more than 200 people.The rain also meant schools and universities closed across large parts of Valencia,

Thousands of people have been evacuated from their homes in the Costa del Sol over new flooding fears after a weather alert for the area went from yellow to red and locals and holidaymakers were warned of an 'extreme risk.