Portugal, Spain on wildfire alert as heatwave kicks in

Madrid

SPAIN and Portugal were on alert for wildfires on Thursday as a heatwave that has enveloped southeastern Europe in recent days shifted west towards the two nations.

Temperatures were forecast to reach highs of around 40 degrees Celsius in much of the Iberian peninsula in the coming days, and could hit the mid-40s in some areas of southern Spain.

Scientists say global temperature rises powered by manmade climate change will make heatwaves more frequent and more intense, and their impact more widespread.

A heatwave fed by hot air from North Africa has engulfed large parts of the Mediterranean region in recent days, contributing to massive wildfires and killing dozens of people in Italy, Turkey and Algeria.

"In Spain we are not exempt from this danger," Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez warned on Wednesday as the heatwave took hold."I ask that everyone take maximum care and cooperate with the authorities to minimise the risk (of wildfires) as much as possible."

All but three of Spain's 17 regions were on alert for heat while Portugal's weather office warned that the centre and north of the country as well as parts of the southern Algarve province were on "maximum" alert for wildfires. Spain's northeastern Catalonia region on Thursday banned camping in forests and sporting activities in rural areas to reduce the risk of wildfires. AFP