Portugal, Spain swelter in hot weather

Temperatures soared above 40 degrees across Spain and Portugal yesterday, prompting heat alerts, raising the risk of wildfires and drawing crowds to beaches and fountains.

Spain's national weather office placed one province, Cordoba, on red alert, the highest level in the scale, meaning soaring temperatures posed an "extreme risk" to health.

About 40 other Spanish provinces were on orange alert — the second highest warning — due to the heat wave which was also affecting parts of neighboring France.

Temperatures in the countryside in Cordoba, a region of whitewashed houses in Andalusia, were expected to climb to 44 degrees Celsius.

Beaches across the southern coast were packed as the heat wave coincided with the start of the tourism high season.

In neighboring Portugal four regions were on orange alert, the second highest on its scale of four levels, because of the heat.

Authorities in both nations warned that the scorching temperatures generated a high risk of forest fires.

Nearly all of Spain faced an "extreme," "very high" or "high" risk of forest fires yesterday, according to the nation's weather office.
  Shanghai Daily - china.org.cn
30/6/15
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