Portugal has declared a state of emergency after hundreds of wildfires ravaged forests in the north and center of the country. Unusually hot temperatures and prolonged dry weather throughout helped the fires spread easily.
- At least 36 people have died in Portugal, according to civil defense authorities
- Over 5,000 firefighters are battling the blazes
- Hundreds of people have been evacuated, with schools, roads and rail services being closed
"We are facing new (weather) conditions... In an era of climate change, such disasters are becoming reality all over the world," Portuguese Interior Minister, Constanca Urbano de Sousa, said citing the fires burning in California.
The deaths come just four months after 64 people were killed and more than 250 injured in mid-June, in the deadliest fire in the country's history.
The wildfires in June were the worst in Portugal's history
Arsonists behind some fires
Across the border in Spain, at least three people died as more than 105 fires broke out in the northwestern region of Galicia. Spanish and Portuguese authorities have blamed arson for some of the fires.
Speaking to firefighters in the region, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said "what we are seeing here doesn't happen accidentally. This has been provoked."
"They are absolutely intentional fires, premeditated, caused by people who know what they are doing," said Alberto Nunez Feijoo, the head of the Galicia regional government. He said that 90 percent of forest fires each year in Galicia were intentional.
Spanish Interior Minister Juan Ignacio Zoido said "several people have been identified in connection to the fires in Galicia."
Some of the wildfires were caused by arsonists, authorities say
The fires in both Spain and Portugal were exacerbated by strong winds caused by ex-Hurricane Ophelia, whose remnants brushed the Iberian coast and has also caused major disruption in Ireland.
The European Commission offered its condolences and vowed to help where it could.
Rain was forecast to fall later Monday and bring some respite for firefighters.
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Europe's extreme weather summer
Lucifer rising
A scorching heat wave nicknamed "Lucifer" has swept through southern Europe, wreaking havoc as temperatures soared above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit), from Spain in the west to the Balkan states in the east. Crops have wilted, water sources evaporated and wildfires have been raging.
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Europe's extreme weather summer
Gimme shelter
Mallorca's record temperatures sent tourists scurrying for shade. Here, they've find a touch of relief under Palma Cathedral. Hospital admissions have spiked in several countries, with heat-related deaths recorded in Italy, Spain and Romania.
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Europe's extreme weather summer
Those summer nights
... and things haven't improved much after sundown. Here, a Palma street thermometer registers 33 degrees Celsius late in the evening, offering no escape from the heat. Scientists say 2017 looks set to continue the recent trend and count among the hottest years on record.
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Europe's extreme weather summer
When in Rome
Tourist-packed Rome is among the capital cities worst hit by the heat wave. The Vatican was forced to turn off drinking fountains in July. Luckily, welcome relief was provided as temperatures climbed into the 40s in downtown Rome last week.
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Europe's extreme weather summer
Mud bath, anyone?
As Madrid warmed to an uncomfortable 39 degrees Celsius in June, it wasn't just the city's human inhabitants who felt the heat. Here, a rhino at the city's zoo does it's best to keep cool.
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Europe's extreme weather summer
Fun and games
Kids, at least, were making the most of efforts to keep cool in Nice, southern France. Across Europe, public fountains have drawn crowds. Meanwhile, roads leading out of cities toward the coast - as well as some airports - have become jammed as city-dwellers try to escape the urban swelter.
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Europe's extreme weather summer
Electric skies
Not just heat - July 2017 was Germany's wettest since records began in 1881, with heavy rain drowning out plans for barbecues and sunbathing, and lightning electrifying the skies. While it is becoming more possible to connect individual weather events such as heat waves or storms to climate change, scientists say global warming has contributed to the rise of extreme weather around the world.
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Europe's extreme weather summer
Wet and wild
While other European cities craved water, revelers at Berlin's annual Christopher Street Day parades braved lashing rain to celebrate Gay Pride. Berlin, like much of Germany, has had an unusually wet summer, complete with giant hailstones and dramatic thunderstorms.
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Europe's extreme weather summer
Timber!
Northern Germany in particular has seen gale-force winds this summer that left streets littered with debris. Storms even brought down entire trees, like this impressive old chestnut in Hamburg, which was hit by a tornado in June. Traffic, trains and flights have been disrupted and at least two people killed.
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Europe's extreme weather summer
Washout
Austria, too, has been hit by the deluge. Tourist hoping for a relaxing break in Salzburg were pummeled by rain and hail in August, with the popular Grossarltal Valley completely cut off by floods. At least three people were killed.
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Europe's extreme weather summer
Smoky summer vacation
In southern Europe, forest fires are among the greatest dangers of high summer temperatures. Here, tourists soaking up rays on the Côte d'Azur watch the hills burning above them. Authorities were forced to evacuate 10,000 people from the area.
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Europe's extreme weather summer
Scorched earth
Fires have also swept through areas of Croatia, Italy, Portugal and Spain, causing damage to homes, farms and forests. By late July, Europe had seen more than three times the annual average number of fires. Severe fires in Portugal in June killed 64 people.
Author: Ruby Russell
ng/rt (AP, AFP, Reuters)
