Portugal is preparing for its third heatwave this summer. The entire country is on alert and warnings of the extremely high fire risk have been sent to all mobile phones.
Temperatures are expected to rise to up to 38 degrees over the next few days, while winds are strong, reports the BBC.
Anyone living in sparsely populated areas is warned against lighting any kind of fire, and the government has banned the use of machinery to avoid sparks. People's access to forests has also been restricted.
The warning went into effect at midnight Sunday night and is in effect through Tuesday. About 92,000 hectares have already burned this year due to drought and extreme temperatures, according to government estimates.
Over the weekend, forest fires in Ourém and Leiria, north of the capital Lisbon, were brought under control.
In the Valencia region of neighboring Spain, the forest fire in the Bejís area is under control after raging for a week, authorities said, according to AFP. The fire forced a train to stop on Tuesday, with several passengers injured as they fled the train.
Around 20 aircraft took part in the firefighting on Sunday, which is half the number compared to the previous days. Those who were evacuated from the area can now return to their homes, but they are advised to proceed with caution, as the danger of further fires is not over.
Spain has been hit harder than any other country in Europe by fires this year, according to the EU's Copernicus environment monitoring program. Nearly 285,000 hectares have burned – four times more than an average year since measurements began in 2006.
Source:TT-Aftonbladet.se
