On Saturday, the country recorded 125 fires, the highest number in one day this year, with around 1,500 firefighters currently battling three major fires. The government has declared a state of emergency throughout the country, from Monday to Friday, July 15. Next week’s weather has raised further concerns due to high temperatures. From Tuesday, Portugal’s meteorological service is forecasting temperatures of up to 45C (113F) in Alentejo – the region between Lisbon and the Algarve – with the rest of the country expecting temperatures in the high 30s and low 40s. The agency added that winds of nearly 40 mph were expected in several areas. Many parts of western and southern Europe have experienced unusually high temperatures this summer, with wildfires raging in France and Spain and experts linking the unusually hot season for Europe to climate change. The Portuguese president, Marcelo Rebelo de Souza, has canceled his trip to the United Nations meeting in New York next week. While some small villages in Portugal were evacuated on Saturday, only a few houses were damaged. The country’s prime minister, Antonio Costa, asked the public on Twitter to avoid using fire engines or heavy machinery because of the risk of more fires. Image: Fires injured 29 in Portugal. Pic: SIC TV Image: Fires release carbon and air pollutants. Photo: SIC TV The European Union’s executive arm, the European Commission, says climate change is confronting the continent with one of its toughest years for natural disasters such as droughts and wildfires. On Friday, 1,000 firefighters backed by water-dropping planes battled a large forest fire in southeastern France that forced the evacuation of neighboring villages. In Spain, temperatures are forecast to reach 42C over the weekend in some areas along the border with Portugal. Image: Fires raging in Portugal Pic: SIC TV Image: A helicopter flies over a fire in Portugal. Photo: SIC TV Spain’s June rainfall was about half the 30-year average, and the country’s reservoirs are averaging 45 percent capacity, according to government data. Italy has also suffered a prolonged heat wave already this summer, enduring its worst drought in 70 years that has raised fears about crop harvests. Watch the Daily Climate Show at 3.30pm Monday to Friday and The Climate Show with Tom Heap on Saturday and Sunday at 3.30pm and 7.30pm. All on Sky News, the Sky News website and app, YouTube and Twitter. The show explores how global warming is changing our landscape and highlights solutions to the crisis.
