Barcelona, Spain. A wildfire near a rail section in Catalonia disrupted high-speed train services between Madrid and Barcelona on Thursday, according to rail operator Adif. The disruption came as Spain prepared for the first heatwave of the season, with fire risk expected to rise sharply from Sunday.
Rail disruption in Catalonia
Train operator Renfe suspended services between the Lleida-Pirineus and Camp de Tarragona stations at the request of firefighters tackling the blaze. Adif and Renfe said the fire broke out close to the line between Les Borges Blanques and L’Espluga de Francoli in northeastern Spain.
Heatwave forecast
Spain’s national weather service said temperatures were set to rise from Saturday, with a sharper increase on Sunday, especially in Galicia and along the Cantabrian coast in the north and northwest.
The agency said highs could exceed 36-38 degrees Celsius in inland valleys and reach 40C in the east. The Ebro valley and major river basins may see 38-40C, with a slight chance of locally reaching 42C on Monday, which it said was likely to be the peak of the heatwave in many areas.
Fire risk warning
The weather agency said fire danger would increase, driven by dry storms with little precipitation, while adding that the full intensity and duration of the heatwave remained uncertain.
Recent extreme weather
Last summer, Spain and Portugal experienced a 16-day heatwave that was the most intense on record and contributed to severe forest fires. Scientists say such extreme weather is becoming more frequent due to human-caused climate change.