About 1,600 firefighters with 430 vehicles and 25 aircraft are battling to extinguish 19 active outbreaks, according to Portugal’s civil protection agency.
The largest part of Portugal has been put on red alert, as due to the high temperatures the authorities were forced to deploy strong firefighting forces to fight the fires that broke out in the central part of the country. Neighboring Spain is also being tested by the heat wave.
With the mercury climbing above 40 degrees Celsius in many areas, a large forest fire that started last week in Santarem (north of the Portuguese capital) flared up today due to strong winds. Due to a fire, moreover, the authorities temporarily stopped traffic on two highways connecting Lisbon with Porto.
About 1,600 firefighters with 430 vehicles and 25 aircraft are battling to extinguish 19 active outbreaks, according to Portugal’s civil protection agency.
Spain is also at high risk of wildfires – especially the region of Castile and León and the region of Extremadura. In Ourense in northwestern Spain, the mercury is approaching 42 degrees Celsius.
In Portugal’s capital, which is buzzing with tourists, most people seek coolness by drinking cold water, eating ice cream or retreating to river banks and nearby beaches.
A British couple and their toddler were enjoying the morning sunshine on the banks of the River Tagus before the heat became unbearable. “We were watching the weather forecast and we knew it was going to be very hot… It’s like that in Britain, but we don’t have air conditioning,” said 28-year-old Megan Slancy.
The UK Met Office has issued a very hot warning for this week and early next, across much of England and Wales.
Claire Noulis, spokeswoman for the World Meteorological Organization, said today that the heat wave affecting Iberia will worsen and affect other countries.
As for forest fires, their number is expected to increase by 30% by 2050, according to a recent UN study on the effects of climate change.
RES-EMP
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