At least nine Mediterranean nations, including the Greek islands of Corfu and Rhodes, have been affected by wildfires that have now reached Portugal.
Strong winds have made it more difficult for firefighters to put out the fire that has engulfed Cascais, a popular vacation spot 40 minutes to the west of Lisbon.
At 5 o’clock on Tuesday, hundreds of firemen rushed to the still-active wildfire in the hilly Sintra-Cascais area, which spans an area of about 145 square kilometres (56 square miles).
Strong winds led the flames to spread, so desperate locals have been using hosepipes and buckets of water to try to put out the fires in their homes.
After the wildfire started, about 600 firemen were dispatched, and water bombing aircraft have also been employed to fight the blaze.
Ines Figueiredo, 34, expressed her concern that it will eventually reach the homes as smoke filled the air.
We provide as much assistance as we can by providing buckets of water. but it doesn’t have much value.
The mayor of Cascais, Carlos Carreiras, stated that gusts of up to 60 kph would be the main challenge. As a precaution, several residents had been evacuated.
Local citizen Miguel Medeiros, who has assisted the firefighters in putting out the flames, said, “They (firefighters) do what they can.” “It’s challenging for everyone.”
According to local authorities, no homes have yet been damaged, and no serious injuries have been reported.
Although Portugal has so far avoided the wildfires raging across southern Europe, it is often the country most severely affected by wildfires.
This July, there have been reports of extreme weather patterns all around the world, notably in China, the US, and southern Europe.
Large wildfires in the Mediterranean have claimed the lives of over 40 people.
Up to 34 fatalities and 1,500 evacuations have been reported in Algeria as wildfires have been raging there recently.
Two pilots perished when their Canadair firefighting aircraft fell into a gorge on the island of Evia, which is located close to Athens.
Storms in the north and heatwaves in the south have both affected the weather in Italy.
An elderly woman, 88, was also found dead nearby Palermo, Sicily, while a fourth fire victim, a 98-year-old man, was discovered in Calabria, which is located just east of Sicily.
In the meantime, two people died on Tuesday as a result of falling trees during the storms in the northern part of Italy.
As wildfires currently flare on the islands of Corfu and Evia, Greece is now planning for additional evacuation flights from Rhodes.