Portugal fires - live: Fears of new wildfires as blistering 37C heat sparks warnings over extreme weather
Though the Odemira wildfire was tamed on Wednesday morning, 100 municipalities remain at maximum risk
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Portuguese authorities fear new wildfires could spark as blistering 37C heat has provoked extreme weather warnings.
Yellow warnings - the lowest level on a three-tier scale - will remain in place across the Beja and Faro districts until 10 August at the minimum, with the Met Office anticipating that, on Friday, temperatures will reach highs of 37C across Faro in the Algarve region of southern Portugal.
Vitor Vaz Pinto, regional commander of the emergency and civil protection authority (ANEPC), said on Wednesday the wildfire in the municipality of Odemira, in the Alentejo region, was brought under control at 10.15am.
The wildfire started on Saturday, but high temperatures and strong winds hampered efforts by more than 1,000 firefighters and water-dousing planes to extinguish the flames, which destroyed some 8,400 hectares, according to preliminary data.
For now, firefighters, water-dousing planes and bulldozers being used to prevent the spread of the fire will remain on the ground and then gradually be demobilised, Vaz Pinto said.
Temperatures have now dropped along the Portuguese coast but remain high across the countryside, with around 100 municipalities remaining at maximum risk of wildfires.
The biggest blaze, in the northeast, burned about 600 hectares (1,500 acres) and required the evacuation of 150 people.
In pictures: Firefighters continue battle against Portugal blazes
More than 1,000 firefighters are battling a series of wildfires in Portugal as it and neighbouring Spain experience several days of extreme summer heat, with temperatures in many areas rising above 40 degrees Celsius (104 F).
Three major fires raged in Portugal on Tuesday, with the biggest in the southwest near the town of Odemira, where on Monday about 1,400 people were evacuated from villages and a campsite as a precaution. They were gradually returning home on Tuesday.
The National Civil Protection Service said about 1,000 firefighters, 320 vehicles and nine aircraft were deployed at that fire on Tuesday. It has so far scorched around 7,000 hectares (17,300 acres).
What is the weather forecast for Portugal today?
Hundreds of firefighters have scrambled to put out wildfires now raging in Portugal as temperatures topped 46C during the country’s third heatwave of the year.
On Monday, Portuguese weather agency IPMA issued six red alerts for extreme heat across the country, including across the capital, Lisbon. Meanwhile, on Tuesday three districts in the country’s north were issued with the same warning as temperatures were expected to rise once again.
Eleanor Noyce has the weather forecast for the coming days here:
Portugal weather forecast as wildfires spread to Algarve amid 46C heatwave
The flames have already decimated approximately 6,700 hectares of land
Wildfires raging in Hawaii burn homes
Wildfires also erupted in several Hawaii communities forcing people to evacuate as the blaze destroyed at least two homes as of today morning.
Two regions. Maui and the Big Island were contending with wildfires. One Maui fire in Lahaina was contained, but firefighters were still dealing with another in the Kula area.
Two homes were destroyed in a fire that engulfed about 1,100 acres, Maui Mayor Richard Bissen said. About 80 people were evacuated from 40 homes, he said.
"We're trying to protect homes in the community," Big Island Mayor Mitch Roth said of evacuating about 400 homes in four communities in the northern part of the island. As of today morning, the roof of one house caught on fire, he said.
Because of the wind gusts, helicopters aren't able to dump water on the fires from the sky — or gauge more precise fire sizes, Mr Roth said.
Read more:
It's very windy and dry in Hawaii. Strong gusts complicate wildfires and prompt evacuations
A dry season mixed with strong wind gusts were making for dangerous fire conditions in Hawaii, where some homes were evacuated on Maui and the Big Island
Spain wildfires largely controlled, officials say
Spain is faring better with its wildfires this week despite the high temperatures of the country's third heat wave this summer.
Officials said three fires that started over the weekend have been brought under control or had been extinguished by today.
The biggest blaze, in the northeast, burned about 600 hectares and required the evacuation of 150 people.
The only fire out of control in Spain is in the southwest near the Portuguese border. Some 20 people in two rural hostels were evacuated. Strong winds were reported to be complicating firefighting efforts.
Spain's AEMET weather agency said temperatures will continue to rise at least until Friday, with some areas of the southern Andalusia region hitting 44 C (111 F).
A drought in Spain for the past two years has led to water restrictions in several parts of the country. Spain's Ecological Transition Ministry said Tuesday that reservoirs nationally were at 41 per cent of their capacity owing to high temperatures and the severe lack of rain.
Temperatures soar in Iberia amid wildfires
More than 1,000 firefighters are battling a series of wildfires in Portugal as it and neighbouring Spain experience several days of extreme summer heat, with temperatures in many areas rising above 40 degrees Celsius (104F).
On Monday, the city of Santarem, about 80km northeast of the capital, Lisbon, set the year's highest temperature at 46.4C (115.5F). Temperatures are forecast to fall nationwide from today, though they will mostly remain above 30C (86F).
Day 4 of Portugal wildfires
High temperatures and strong winds continue to hamper efforts to control wildfires raging in Portugal that have scorched thousands of hectares and forced the evacuation of about 1,400 people.
The wildfires, which started on Saturday in the municipality of Odemira in Alentejo region, have since spread south towards the Algarve, one of Portugal’s top tourist destinations.
Jose Ribeiro, regional commander of the emergency and civil protection authority (ANPC), said weather conditions were expected to remain challenging.
“It is a worrying situation,” Mr Ribeiro told reporters on Tuesday, adding there were two active fronts, with one heading to Monchique, a lush green mountainous area in the Algarve’s countryside.
Portugal wildfire visible from space
The wildfires in Portugal have grown so big they're visible from space.
This satellite image released by the European space agency Copernicus shows the size and extent of the raging fires.
As storms rise, cholera cases increase
The World Health Organization says climate change is aggravating the acute global upsurge of cholera:
As climate change leads to more and wetter storms, cholera cases are on the rise
As the planet warms thanks to climate change, tropical storms are becoming more frequent, more powerful, and wetter
We’re going to pause live updates on the blog for tonight, thanks for following here.
My colleagues will be back in a few hours’ time to bring you further developments.
You can read our latest report on the wildfires here, or keep scrolling to catch up on today’s news, as we reported it:
Video report: Firefighters battle wildfires in Portugal as thousands forced to evacuate
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