Spain Battles Severe Wildfires Amid Record Heatwave

Hundreds of firefighters, supported by waterbomber aircraft, are working to contain wildfires in eastern Spain. The fires, which started Tuesday, have led to the evacuation of several villages in Valencia and have burned over 1,500 hectares in Cuenca. Spain faces extreme wildfire risks amid record high temperatures.

Hundreds of firefighters backed by waterbomber aircraft are striving to contain wildfires that have been raging since Tuesday in eastern Spain. The rest of the country remains on high alert for both heat and potential fires.

A blaze in Benasau, in the eastern region of Valencia, has forced emergency services to evacuate several hundred villagers as a precaution. Firefighters report that the "fire is evolving favourably" following overnight efforts. Another major fire in the inland province of Cuenca has already consumed more than 1,500 hectares of vegetation.

The Spain weather service, AEMET, predicts peak temperatures of 43-44 degrees Celsius (109.4-111.2°F) on Wednesday, the height of the current heatwave. The interior ministry has issued warnings of extreme wildfire risks across the country. The Barcelona-Fabra observatory in Catalonia registered a record temperature of 40°C (104°F) on Tuesday, breaking its previous record set in 1982.

This marks Spain's third heatwave in two weeks, a scenario exacerbated by rising global temperatures due to climate change, which has also spurred frequent wildfires globally, from China to Canada and across Europe, particularly in the Balkans region.

(With inputs from agencies.)