As temperatures continue to stay high and wildfires threaten parts of Europe, Portuguese authorities have released warnings for three areas commonly frequented by travelers.
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Approximately 1,000 firefighters are engaged in combating the fire that ignited on Saturday within the vicinity of Odemira, situated just north of Portugal’s Faro district.
The Portuguese Institute of the Sea and the Atmosphere (IPMA) has issued warnings at category yellow for the areas of Faro through Wednesday (Aug. 3) and Madeira through Thursday (Aug. 4) due to high temperatures and Lisbon on Thursday for high winds. Yellow warnings are issued whenever the weather could cause a risky situation that impacts residents and tourists.
A third wave of heated air from Africa has hit Europe over the past week, creating dangerously warm daytime temperatures and whipping up wildfires in nine Mediterranean countries, including Portugal and Spain.
In addition to Portugal’s Lisbon area, more than 50 cities in North and Central Portugal, the Alto Alentejo in the central south, and Algarve to the far south are all under extreme fire risk.
More than 600 firefighters are already battling a blaze near Cascais, a city on the coast west of Lisbon. More than 90% of Portugal is considered to be under drought conditions and officials hope to minimize additional wildfires from starting.
In the past month, Italy and Greece have experienced fires that have caused deaths, destruction of property, and heavily polluted air.
Wildfires in these countries are curtailing tourism and impacting local economies. On the Greek island of Rhodes, residents and tourists were evacuated by air. Northern African countries, particularly Algeria, have also struggled with extreme temperatures and fires that caused more than 40 deaths.
The European Travel Commission reports that tourists to Europe are avoiding the southern nations of the continent in favor of northern areas like Denmark, Ireland, and the Czech Republic.
Regardless of your destination, travel experts are recommending travel insurance for summer trips in case of storms, fires, or other extreme weather. Insurance can cover the cost of canceled flights or medical emergencies.