A former mayor in Portugal has died while battling wildfires that continue to sweep across southern Europe, also affecting Spain and Greece.

Officials said Carlos Damaso, the former mayor of Vila Franca do Deão in northeast Portugal, was reported missing while helping fight a blaze. His body was found on Friday.

Nearly 4,000 firefighters are now deployed across the country, and the government in Lisbon has joined Spain in requesting assistance from the European Union’s civil protection mechanism.

However, authorities in Portugal have warned they lack enough resources, while strong winds were causing blazes to spread across the country faster than firefighters could contain them.

Portugal’s president, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, offered ‘heartfelt condolences’ to former mayor Damaso, and cut short a holiday to join emergency meetings this weekend.

Wildfires have burned across much of Europe in the last week. In Spain, blazes have burned 610 square miles so far this year – an area roughly the size of London.

There were 14 major fires burning in the country this weekend, with firefighters deployed on a public holiday on Friday as persistent heat and dry conditions made the spread ever more likely.

Spain’s national weather agency Aemet said temperatures had risen above 44C in several places on Saturday, warning of a very high risk of fires across ‘practically the entire country’.

France, Bulgaria, Albania and Montenegro have also suffered devastating fires so far amid heatwaves in August.

And in Greece, the popular tourist island of Chios saw villages evacuated after a wildfire burned for the fourth day despite water-dropping planes and helicopters trying to halt it.

While wildfires happen frequently across Europe over the summer, meteorologists say extreme weather which makes them more likely is becoming more frequent as a result of climate change.

According to EU data, about 6,290 square km (2,429 square miles) of land has burnt across the bloc since the beginning of the year.

And the Met Office said that even the UK is currently being affected as smoke carried over from the fires in Europe creates hazy conditions in parts of the country.

The weather agency said the conditions will lead to brighter sunsets, combining with Saharan dust that has blown towards the country this weekend.

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Firefighters have been battling to put out blazes across southern Europe in one of the worst summers for wildfires in 20 years

Got a holiday booked? Here’s what you need to know.

‘Heatwaves don’t roar like storms – they creep in quietly, but can be just as deadly.’

A woman has died in her home in Aude, southern France, as fires spread across 11,000 hectares burning 25 homes.

Deadly blazes have killed 14 people., including one firefighter.

The wildfires have forced the evacuation of a suburb north of Athens.

The wildfires have forced the evacuation of a suburb north of Athens.

Flames licked the outskirts of Marseille on Tuesday, with residents warned to stayed inside, close doors and keep roads clear for emergencies.

Flames licked the outskirts of Marseille on Tuesday, with residents warned to stayed inside, close doors and keep roads clear for emergencies.

The fire is moving ever closer to France’s second biggest city.

This is a warning to those who are not taking the impending danger seriously. 

‘Biblical’ wildfires have forced the evacuation of more than 1,500 people on the Greek holiday island of Crete.

More than 1,500 people have been evacuated from hotels and homes on the Greek island of Crete because of a rapidly sweeping wildfire.

‘We were terrified it would reach our houses.’

On Sunday, the UK Foreign Office advised against all travel to Israel. Now, travellers are looking at the map of the wider region with concern over whether it is safe to travel to Turkey.

Rapidly spreading forest fires forced Adnan Menderes Airport, one of Turkey’s busiest hubs, to temporarily close as authorities struggle to contain the flames.

Strong winds are threatening to worsen the situation in Izmir Province, on the country’s Mediterranean west coast.

The airport, which serves the popular tourist destination city of Izmir, was shut for a period yesterday with services just now returning to normal.

According to its website, flights scheduled to leave yesterday evening will finally be getting off the ground today – with one returning to London Stanstead after a delay of more than 20 hours.

Izmir Mayor Dr Cemil Tugay said: ‘Today is a very tough day for us – we are simultaneously battling numerous fires breaking out all across our beautiful Izmir.

‘In collaboration with relevant institutions, our Fire Department, along with heavy machinery, tankers, and all field personnel, is on high alert.

‘Our teams are working with all their strength to combat the fires, which have grown due to the effect of the storm, particularly in Menderes, Seferihisar, and Gaziemir.’

He said the ‘vast majority’ of the fires were ’caused by human hands’, and urged people in the area to be extremely careful.

Images posted by Turkey’s Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry on X show firefighters in Izmir working through the night extinguishing flames with hoses in dense trees.

Ibrahim Yumaklı, the forestry minister, wrote: ‘Our heroes continue their relentless struggle against the flames under the toughest conditions, day and night, with all their might.’

Wildfires have also appeared in top tourist spots Antalya and Mersin, though authorities have reportedly contained or extinguished them.

Temperatures in Izmir are expected to reach 36°C later today, and could approach 40°C later this week.

Turkey is among the countries that have been worst-affected by the ongoing heatwave sweeping southern Europe.

Over the weekend, Spain, Portugal, Greece and France all issued extreme heat, wildfire and health warnings.

The Greek island of Chios, which is the fifth largest in the country, was ravaged by blazes that tore through 11,000 acres of bush and pasture land.

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For more stories like this, check our news page.

One tourist died of heatstroke in Majorca.

Dry, warm weather has increased the risk.