A relentless wildfire, now blazing for four days, has plunged Portugal into a state of emergency as hundreds of firefighters’ race to control the inferno. With temperatures soaring to record highs and a scorching heatwave engulfing the Iberian Peninsula, both Portugal and neighbouring Spain are grappling with the devastating consequences of climate change.
The escalating heatwaves, droughts, and wildfires striking the Iberian Peninsula are emblematic of the region’s vulnerability to the impacts of climate change. In central Portugal’s Santarem, the mercury surged to an alarming 46.4 degrees Celsius (115.5 degrees Fahrenheit) on Monday – a new record for the year 2023, as indicated by provisional data from the meteorological office. Forecasts painted a similar picture for Portugal on Tuesday, with some areas predicted to experience temperatures of 40 degrees Celsius.
Across the border in Spain, the situation is no less dire. The Spanish met office issued warnings of anticipated temperatures exceeding 44 degrees Celsius on both Tuesday and Wednesday. This heatwave marks the third of the year and is expected to reach its peak on Wednesday.
As a testament to the severity of the situation, around 900 firefighters, aided by ten water-bomber planes, were actively combating a blaze that had already consumed vast hectares of land in Odemira, southwestern Portugal. While some progress was made in stabilising the fire’s perimeter overnight on Monday, two critical points continued to pose significant challenges. A number of rural tourist sites and 20 inland villages were evacuated, leading to 1,500 individuals being displaced since the outbreak.
Emergency medical treatment has been provided to approximately 40 people, including 28 fire officers, due to the intensity of the firefighting efforts.
A separate wildfire, which had ravaged approximately 7,000 hectares in Leiria, central Portugal, exhibited some signs of subsiding overnight on Monday. However, nearly 2,800 firefighters and 16 water-bombers remained actively engaged across the country on Tuesday as they combated these devastating blazes.
Both Portugal and Spain continued to be under weather warnings, as much of the southern region of Spain remained on orange alert. Maximum red alerts were issued for parts of Andalusia, the Madrid region, and the Basque Country in Spain due to the intensifying heatwave.
The havoc caused by these wildfires in Spain is further exemplified by a fourth major wildfire that ignited near the Spanish-Portuguese border in Estremadura on Monday. The fire raged uncontrollably through the night.
Preliminary estimates indicate that wildfires have consumed a staggering 100,000 hectares of land across the Iberian Peninsula this year alone, adding to the record-breaking 400,000 hectares destroyed last year.
