A spate of wildfires in Central and North Portugal which started at the weekend has killed at least 35 people, civil defence authorities say.
Dozens of the 145 fires still raging are considered serious, a spokeswoman said. To the North, fires which broke out across the border in Spain’s Galicia region claimed at least three lives. Thousands of firefighters are battling the flames, which erupted after a hot dry summer.
Conditions were worsened by Hurricane Ophelia, as it approached Europe’s Western Coast, bringing strong winds to fan and spread the flames.
Portugal’s government asked for international help and declared a state of emergency in territory north of the Tagus river – about half of its landmass.
