Wildfires are spreading across Spain, Portugal and France due to extreme heat, causing concern for Irish tourists.
The numerous blazes continue to spread in southwest France, with nearly 10,000 hectares on fire in the Gironde region. More than 12,200 people have been forced to leave their homes in the area up to Saturday, July 16, while more than 1,000 firefighters work to bring the blaze under control.
According to the regional authorities of Nouvelle-Aquitaine and Gironde: "Given the weather conditions and the important risks of fires starting, the authorities have temporarily blocked access to the forested area for professional and leisure activities.”
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Wildfires have raged through France over the last few weeks, as well as in other European countries like Spain and Portugal, as temperatures continue to soar.
In Spain, the Mijas fires are not far from the popular destination of Málaga, while other fires have broken out in the provinces of Castilla y León, Galicia, and Extremadura. Thousands of people continue to be warned of potential evacuation as firefighters work to slow the spread of danger.
Holidays
Spain
The Andalucia and Extremadura regions in the south and west respectively are to be the worst hit by the fires, according to the Copernicus Emergency Management Service.
Two "extreme risk" weather warnings are in place for the city of Seville and the Vegas del Guadiana region as temperatures were set to hit a whopping 44 degrees.
An orange warning has been issued for large parts of central and southern Spain where highs of 41 degrees are expected. However, areas popular with Irish tourists - on the east coast - will not be as severely affected with highs of 37 degrees expected.
The Mijas fires are not far from the popular destination of Málaga, and at this point, other fires have broken out in the provinces of Castilla y León, Galicia and Extremadura.
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Thousands of people continue to be warned of evacuation as firefighters work to slow the spread of danger. There are no specific requests for Irish passengers to delay trips due to fires.
Portugal
Last week Portugal was in a state of contingency due to exceptionally high temperatures and a heightened risk of forest fires. Portugal experienced a national high of 47C last week, as firefighters battled blazes across the country.
Evacuations took place at the popular resort of Quinta do Lago resort in The Algarve due to wildfires. Westlife star Nicky Byrne and his family were among those evacuated.
According to Portugal's Ministry of Health, between July 7 and 13, 238 people had heat-related deaths, and there were more than 421 heat-related fatalities between July 14 and 17. The Government has now lowered the level of alert with temperatures dropping back to the high 20s.
France
Urgent travel advice was issued to UK tourists by the UK Foreign Office (FCDO) which is also relevant for any Irish tourists heading to France.
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The FCDO said: "A large, uncontained forest fire is currently underway in southwest France near the Dune du Pilat. You should follow the instructions of local authorities and call 112 if you need emergency assistance. If you need urgent consular assistance you should call 01 44 51 31 00."
The FCDO also said those travelling to southern France and staying in a high-risk area should familiarise themselves with the local safety and emergency procedure - warning that areas may be evacuated and roads closed for safety reasons.
Passengers are not being asked to halt trips to any specific destinations.
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