European heatwave: wildfires ravage western Europe

Extreme heat is continuing to set parts of Portugal, western Spain and south-west France alight, following further record-breaking temperatures.

On Wednesday July 13th, Lousã in Portugal recorded its all-time heat record of 46.3C, just one degree shy of their national temperature record.

This is just one place amongst several, that have seen records tumble amidst brutal heat.

Wildfires have continued to burn over the past week, though are intensifying and multiplying as a result of the severity and persistence of the heatwave.

Thousands of firefighters have been battling relentless blazes across parts of Portugal, western Spain and south-west France.

Nearly 900 firefighters were tackling Leira, Portugal alone, where over 3,000 hectares of land has burned already. Major motorways have been blocked, including Portugal's most important highway connecting Lisbon to Porto.

Fires have also raged across popular tourist resorts in the Algarve including Val do Lobo and Quinto do Lago, calling for evacuations.

Andalucia and Extremadura in Spain also remain under 'very extreme danger' as authorities struggle to extinguish fires.

In Bordeaux, France, more than 1,800 hectares have burned so far, with the smoke from the fires visible below on our WeatherRadar satellite.

Although wildfires are not unusual in the Mediterranean region during summer, the scale and timing is remarkable.

These wildfires across western Europe have been ignited by extreme heat, fuelled by dry vegetation and fanned by strong winds. 96% of Portugal was classified as being in 'extreme' or 'severe' drought in June.

The intense heat may briefly moderate by early next week however, as it pushes northwards and becomes concentrated across the British Isles instead.