Heat wave forecast for Spain, Portugal fuels wildfire worry

Jul 11, 2022, 10:04 PM | Updated: Jul 12, 2022, 12:07 pm

A man in swimming trunks takes a shower on a roof of an apartment block in Madrid, Spain, Tuesday, July 12, 2022. A new heatwave in Spain and Portugal is expected to last until the weekend. Already high temperatures are climbing steadily, raising fears of triggering more uncontrollable wildfires. (AP Photo/Paul White)

(AP Photo/Paul White)

A woman uses a fan to cool off next to a man lying down in a park in Madrid, Spain, Tuesday, July 12, 2022. A new heatwave in Spain and Portugal is expected to last until the weekend. Already high temperatures are climbing steadily, raising fears of triggering more uncontrollable wildfires. (AP Photo/Paul White)

Local residents fill buckets with water to try to stop a forest fire from reaching their homes in the village of Figueiras, outside Leiria, central Portugal, Tuesday, July 12, 2022. Hundreds of firefighters in Portugal continue to battle fires in the center of the country that forced the evacuation of dozens of people from their homes mostly in villages around Santarem, Leiria and Pombal. (AP Photo/Joao Henriques)

A man rides a bicycle while a forest fire burns in the background near the village of Caranguejeira, outside Leiria, central Portugal, Tuesday, July 12, 2022. Hundreds of firefighters in Portugal continue to battle fires in the center of the country that forced the evacuation of dozens of people from their homes mostly in villages around Santarem, Leiria and Pombal. (AP Photo/Joao Henriques)

A local resident uses a garden hose to try to prevent a forest fire from reaching houses in the village of Figueiras, outside Leiria, central Portugal, Tuesday, July 12, 2022. Hundreds of firefighters in Portugal continue to battle fires in the center of the country that forced the evacuation of dozens of people from their homes mostly in villages around Santarem, Leiria and Pombal. (AP Photo/Joao Henriques)

A local resident uses a bucket to try to stop a forest fire from reaching houses in the village of Figueiras, outside Leiria, central Portugal, Tuesday, July 12, 2022. Hundreds of firefighters in Portugal continue to battle fires in the center of the country that forced the evacuation of dozens of people from their homes mostly in villages around Santarem, Leiria and Pombal. (AP Photo/Joao Henriques)

Smoke billows from the ground where a forest fire reached close to houses burning some cars in the village of Figueiras, outside Leiria, central Portugal, Tuesday, July 12, 2022. Hundreds of firefighters in Portugal continue to battle fires in the center of the country that forced the evacuation of dozens of people from their homes mostly in villages around Santarem, Leiria and Pombal. (AP Photo/Joao Henriques)

A local resident uses a garden hose to try to stop a forest fire from reaching houses in the village of Figueiras, outside Leiria, central Portugal, Tuesday, July 12, 2022. Hundreds of firefighters in Portugal continue to battle fires in the center of the country that forced the evacuation of dozens of people from their homes mostly in villages around Santarem, Leiria and Pombal. (AP Photo/Joao Henriques)

A man talks to a person wearing a polar bear costume at Lisbon's Comercio square, Monday, July 11, 2022. Temperatures in Portugal have dropped in the last couple days bringing some respite from a heatwave but are expected to rise again Tuesday and reach 46 degrees Celsius (115 Fahrenheit) in some parts of the country by Thursday. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)

A woman drinks water while another takes a selfie by the water on the Tagus river bank at Lisbon's Comercio square, Monday, July 11, 2022. Temperatures in Portugal have dropped in the last couple days bringing some respite from a heatwave but are expected to rise again Tuesday and reach 46 degrees Celsius (115 Fahrenheit) in some parts of the country by Thursday. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)

Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa, background left, visits a room dedicated to the monitoring of forest fires, at the Civil Protection Agency headquarters in Oeiras, outside of Lisbon, Tuesday, July 12, 2022. Portugal is experiencing a heatwave that led the government to declare a state of alert from Monday through Friday due to the heightened risk of forest fires. Temperatures are forecast to reach 46 degrees Celsius (115 Fahrenheit) in some parts of the country by Wednesday. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)

A civil protection officer works on a computer with live images and data from a forest fire, in a room dedicated to the monitoring of forest fires, at the country's Civil Protection Agency headquarters in Oeiras, outside Lisbon, Tuesday, July 12, 2022. Portugal is experiencing a heatwave that led the government to declare a state of alert from Monday through Friday due to the heightened risk of forest fires. Temperatures are forecast to reach 46 degrees Celsius (115 Fahrenheit) in some parts of the country by Wednesday. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)

Beachgoers enjoy the water at Carcavelos Beach, outside Lisbon, Tuesday, July 12, 2022. Portugal is experiencing a heatwave that led the government to declare a state of alert from Monday through Friday due to the heightened risk of forest fires. Temperatures are forecast to reach 46 degrees Celsius (115 Fahrenheit) in some parts of the country by Wednesday. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)

Surf students ride their boards at Carcavelos Beach, outside Lisbon, Tuesday, July 12, 2022. Portugal is experiencing a heatwave that led the government to declare a state of alert from Monday through Friday due to the heightened risk of forest fires. Temperatures are forecast to reach 46 degrees Celsius (115 Fahrenheit) in some parts of the country by Wednesday. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)

Young surf students dive from a pier at Carcavelos Beach, outside Lisbon, Tuesday, July 12, 2022. Portugal is experiencing a heatwave that led the government to declare a state of alert from Monday through Friday due to the heightened risk of forest fires. Temperatures are forecast to reach 46 degrees Celsius (115 Fahrenheit) in some parts of the country by Wednesday. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)

BY ASSOCIATED PRESS

MADRID (AP) — Spain’s second heat wave in less than a month and the year’s first for neighboring Portugal is expected to last at least until the weekend, weather forecasters said Tuesday. With temperatures in both countries already elevated, the outlook magnified wildfire worries.

Portugal could get the highest temperatures. The central Alentejo region is expected to reach 46 C (115 F) on Wednesday and Thursday.

Spain’s State Meteorological Agency said southern cities such as Cordoba and Seville could reach 42 C (107.6 F). Pontevedra in northwest Spain, a region less used to such extreme heat, could hit a record 41 C (105.8 F).

Meteorologists said an overheated mass of air and warm African winds are driving temperatures in the Iberian Peninsula beyond their usual highs.

Portugal and Spain started the week battling a number of wildfires in both countries, and authorities said the sweltering conditions could worsen the danger.

Civil protection services in Spain helped evacuate 400 people from seven different villages near Las Hurdes, in the central-western Extremadura region, owing to a wildfire that scorched about 2,500 hectares (6,200 acres).

Regional agriculture chief Begoña García Bernal said the fire that started Monday wasn’t expected to be brought under control soon. She said it appeared to have been started by lightning.

The Spanish army’s emergency unit deployed 100 soldiers to help around 300 firefighters and other response teams battle the fire.

Hundreds of firefighters in Portugal tried to tame blazes in the center of the country that forced the evacuation of dozens of people from their homes, mostly in villages around Santarem and Pombal.

On Saturday, Portugal’s government declared a state of heightened alert that was set to run from Monday through Friday.

The danger of more fires led Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa to postpone a visit to Mozambique this week. President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa also canceled a trip to attend a United Nations event in New York.

The European Union has said climate change has the continent facing one of its hardest years for natural disasters such as droughts and wildfires.

Spain experienced a heat wave in mid-June that lasted a week and was said to be the earliest recorded in almost 40 years.

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AP video journalist Helena Alves reported from Lisbon, Portugal.

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Follow AP’s coverage of climate issues at https://apnews.com/hub/climate

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