Firefighters in Portugal are battling wildfires that have engulfed thousands of hectares amid a new heatwave. On Monday, this year’s highest temperature (+46.4°C) was recorded in Santarém, Portugal.
The large-scale fire near Odemira began on Saturday and spread south to the hilly area of the Algarve, Portugal’s main tourist region, as a result of strong winds. The wildfire has already destroyed more than 6,700 hectares of land, prompting evacuations of 19 villages, four tourist accommodations, and a camping site.
In the center of the country, other major fires have led to the closure of several road sections, including parts of the A1 motorway connecting Portugal’s largest cities, Lisbon and Porto.
In Spain, fires near the southwestern coastal cities of Cadiz and Huelva and in the northern Catalonia region destroyed a total of 1,000 hectares on Saturday and Sunday.