The fire in the western Spanish region of Extremadura, which mobilizes more than 600 Spanish firefighters, no longer poses a risk to Portugal. The Cáceres front was considered extinguished and most of the Portuguese firefighters who were on the ground, helping the Spanish firefighters, will return home.
Commander Pedro Araújo, of the National Civil Protection Authority, told TSF that three dozen firefighters will remain vigilant on the ground.
“In Spain, the fire is still active, that is, where some 600 Spanish operatives work. The front facing Portugal and corresponding to the Cáceres area was intervened by Portuguese media. It is extinct. The works were considered finished and the media who will stay will remain on duty. However, all other media will return to Portugal. Some 30 elements will remain on the ground, supported by a dozen vehicles,” he explained to TSF Pedro Araujo.
In total, the affected area measures between 8,000 and 8,500 hectares, but according to the representative, it will take a few days before the contours can be drawn more precisely.
Nearly 700 inhabitants have been evacuated from their homes and, for now, there are no plans to return.
Although summer has not yet arrived, which is the time of year when forest fires occur, Spain has already seen several fires. It was the most affected country in Europe in 2022, with nearly 500 fires that destroyed more than 300,000 hectares, according to the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS).
As a European country at the forefront of climate change, Spain has been experiencing an increase in heat waves for several years, with increasingly scarce and irregular rainfall. The first quarter of this year was the driest since there are records, in 1961, according to the National Meteorological Agency.
The marked lack of rainfall was joined by a very early wave of extreme temperatures at the end of April, which reached an absolute record for that month in mainland Spain (38.8ºC), a level more typical of the months of July or August.
Around here, the drought is also gaining ground. The Portuguese Institute of the Sea and the Atmosphere (IPMA) forecasts, however, rain for the next morning. It will start at 3 am. First in the districts of Faro and Beja. Then you will arrive at Évora.
The forecast is for showers, thunderstorms, wind and even hail.
“An advisory issued by the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and the Atmosphere with worsening weather for the south of mainland Portugal. This is the subject of a yellow precipitation advisory for the districts of Faro, Beja and Évora with the occurrence of rainfall, It will intensify from 03:00 a.m. on the 21st to around 9:00 p.m. on the same day, it will be characterized by showers that will sometimes be intense, accompanied by electrical storms and gusts of strong wind, there may also be hail.” added the commander.
Source: TSF
