Temperatures hit 40 degrees as Portugal sizzles in extreme heatwave

Residents of the southern Portuguese city of Evora are struggling to beat the heat as temperatures soar to 40 degrees Celsius.

“I try to stay at home. I turn on the fan, turn off the lights, close the windows to keep the heat out,” one man tells AFP news agency.

Mediterranean countries have been sweltering in an extreme heatwave, which is fuelling wildfires and putting people’s health at risk.

The World Meteorological Organisation said temperatures recorded in the Mediterranean region this summer go beyond the typical hot, dry August weather and instead "are extreme, and what we might expect from climate change.”