More than 700 firefighters are battling a major wildfire in southern Portugal's Algarve region, as temperatures in parts of Europe continue to soar. The mercury reached 46C in places, close to Portugal's national record of 47.4C, with the heatwave expected to persist until at least Sunday.
Portugal's Civil Protection Agency has been sending mobile text alerts warning of extreme fire risk in some areas, as authorities seek to avert casualties following deadly forest fires last year. A major fire broke out on Friday in Monchique, Algarve, consuming over 1,000 hectares of forest and forcing evacuations. On Saturday, the fire was fuelled by 46C temperatures with a 'real feel of 50C', according to rescue operations head Victor Vaz Pinto.
In Spain, three deaths by heatstroke have been reported: two in the southeastern Murcia region and a third in Barcelona. Temperatures reached 44C in the southern city of Cordoba. Wildfires have been raging near Nerva, southern Spain, and near Madrid, with additional fires in Extremadura near the Portuguese border and Catalonia near France.
The heatwave has also affected other parts of Europe. Four nuclear reactors in France were forced to close due to the heat, and some roads in the Netherlands closed after asphalt melted. In Sweden, temperatures have dropped after the country's hottest July for 250 years, which saw dozens of wildfires. Researchers say climate change made Europe's extended heatwave twice as likely as it would otherwise have been.
