The fourth heatwave of the summer is set to begin on Wednesday, with temperatures expected to climb to 40 °C in the region.
Comparable heat is forecast for Spain.
Wildfires continue to threaten dozens of communities, forcing more than 70,000 residents to evacuate over the past week; many have now been permitted to return.
The Madrid region, in particular, has been severely impacted. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez acknowledged the difficult hours ahead but expressed optimism, saying that “light is beginning to appear at the end of the Aar tunnels.”
Across the border in Portugal, 400 firefighters are working to contain a large blaze spanning three active fronts in the eastern Guarda area.Officials report that the French city of Bordeaux is presently not under direct threat, even though one of the Monday fires burned as close as 15 km (9 mi) to the city’s outskirts.
Firefighting commander Rémi Lassoureille, leading the response in the Gironde department, remains concerned.
“We fear the impact on Bordeaux and its metropolitan area,” he said. Air quality in the city has also deteriorated significantly.
A holidaymaker from Essex told the BBC that by Sunday evening, the area had largely emptied. He described the air as “really smoky” with ash fragments, noting that many people stayed indoors, creating an eerie and sorrowful atmosphere.
