Rising temperatures are increasing the risk of new forest fires in Portugal.
A heat wave has been sweeping the Iberian Peninsula since the weekend.
In the regions of Lisbon, the Tagus Valley and the Alentejo, temperatures rise to up to 46 degrees.
Such values are also predicted for the south of Spain.
According to some weather models, the intense heat could last for another ten days.
In Spain it would then be one of the longest-lasting heat waves in more than 40 years.
Hans Christian Roessler
Political correspondent for the Iberian Peninsula and the Maghreb based in Madrid.
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More than 300 forest fires have been registered in Portugal since last Friday.
More than 20 people were slightly injured and thousands of hectares of vegetation were burned.
The fire brigade has now brought the fires in Ansião, Ourém and Pombal under control.
“Over the next few days we will see maximum risk conditions.
The slightest inattention can start a fire of considerable proportions,” warned Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa.
The Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) speaks of an "extreme meteorological situation" and warns of a maximum and very high risk of fire on almost the entire Portuguese mainland, especially in the north and inland as well as in the Algarve.
According to the weather forecast, the risk is likely to increase.
High temperatures, low humidity and severe drought
The Portuguese government has therefore declared the third highest level of emergency, which should remain in force at least until Friday.
Hundreds of firefighters are in constant use.
The European Union wants to send fire-fighting planes, and two planes from Spain are already on the spot.
Portugal uses another 60 aircraft.
The Municipality of Lisbon canceled all events in the city's parks.
A challenge for the fire brigade means the large number of fires, which are spread over large parts of the country.
In addition to the high temperatures and low humidity, the extreme drought promotes the spread of the fire.
Portugal is experiencing the worst drought in decades;
it affects 97 percent of the country.
Experts attribute them to climate change.
Experts criticize that too little has been done for fire protection in recent years.
"We already have the conditions for repeating what happened in the fires in 2017," said António Bento Gonçalves of the University of Minho to the Diário de Notícias newspaper.
In June and autumn 2017, more than 100 people died in major fires in the interior of the country.
Until a few days ago this year, Portugal was spared major forest fires, such as those that raged in Spain in June.
According to the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), the fires there by June of this year destroyed almost as many hectares as in all of 2021. In Spain, too, the drought and persistent winds continue to favor the outbreak of fires.
A violent fire raged on Tuesday in the municipality of Las Hurdes in the west of the country, not far from the border with Portugal.
Around 400 people had to leave their homes threatened by the flames on the orders of the authorities, the state television broadcaster RTVE reported on Tuesday.