HUNDREDS of tourists have been forced to flee resorts after wildfires ripped through Portugal while locals endure another heatwave.
More than 500 firefighters and 205 were deployed to try and douse the raging inferno in the south-western town of Odemira.
Firefighters worked to put out the flames in PortugalEPA
EPAThe heatwave in Portugal is forecast to last until Thursday[/caption]
A state of emergency has been declaredEPA
Teams were aided by 16-water-bombing aircraft which attempted to extinguish the ferocious flames from above.
Nine firefighters have been injured as the blaze scorched acres of countryside just south of Lisbon.
Officials declared a state of emergency in the region while around 1,400 people were evacuated as the wind helped carry the fire.
Over a hundred holidaymakers were rushed out of hotels to safety as the flames continued to grow closer.
It is feared the blaze could spread to nearby areas while water supplies in the region dwindle.
It is thought arsonists may be to blame.
A second wildfire erupted close to the city of Castelo Branco has also incinerated around 7,000 hectares of land.
Fire services in Portugal are extremely stretched, as another fire was reported to have broke out in Ourém on Sunday morning.
Around 325 firefighters, 100 vehicles and five water bombers were said to be on the scene.
The town of Mangualde has also been devastated by a relentless fire that began early this morning.
The Portuguese Institute of the Sea and the Atmosphere (IPMA) warned the districts of Beja and Faro are also at risk.
Experts say the Iberian heatwave is set to last until Thursday, increasing the likelihood of more uncontrollable infernos.
Ruben del Campo of the Spanish state weather agency said this week’s weather will be more “intense, widespread and a little longer lasting” than July.
Temperatures are still often topping 40C in Portugal as the searing summer heat continues.
Weather experts have declared 2023 an El Niño year – a natural phenomenon that occurs cyclically and causes fluctuations in the global climate.
The UN’s World Meteorological Organization said it will raise temperatures around the world, and the effect is likely to continue for the rest of the year.
It comes weeks after alerts for wildfires were issued in Greece as holiday hotspots there dealing with catastrophic blazes.
EPAThe skies over Odemira have turned black as thick smoke billows[/caption]
