Firefighters in Spain, Portugal, and Greece continue to battle wildfires amid persistent hot, dry conditions. On Friday, Spain was fighting 14 major fires, with temperatures expected to rise over

Europe has been warming twice as fast as the global average since the 1980s, according to the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service. Scientists say that climate change is exacerbating the frequency and intensity of heat and dryness in parts of Europe, making the region more vulnerable to wildfires.

This year is turning into one of the worst fire seasons in recent memory in Europe. Firefighters are struggling to contain out-of-control wildfires in western Spain and Portugal.

Europe has been warming twice as fast as the global average since the 1980s, making the region more vulnerable to wildfires.

Wildfires have ravaged more than 450,000 hectares of land across the Iberian peninsula since the start of the year, setting records in a region particularly hard hit by intensive heatwaves and drought affecting southern Europe.

Emergency services are under strain due to the ‘worst’ fires in Portugal in years, Al Jazeera’s Sonia Gallego says.

A heatwave is continuing to affect the Iberian Peninsula. Thousands of firefighters have been deployed to battle ongoing blazes and towns have been evacuated. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visited affected regions to meet with the heads of emergency teams.

Spanish and Portuguese authorities, backed by Europol, have seized more than seven tonnes of clams unfit for human consumption and arrested 11 suspects accused of making at least