Spain faces risk of wildfires during eclipse, meteorological agency warns

Spain’s State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) has warned of a high risk of wildfires on the day of a total solar eclipse visible from the Iberian Peninsula.

Aemet said on August 12 that the wildfire danger index is expected to reach very high or extremely high levels across most of mainland Spain and the Balearic Islands, Caliber.Az reports.

Temperatures are forecast to reach as high as 40°C.

The elevated fire risk is expected to persist on August 13 and 14. In this regard, Aemet urged people to exercise extreme caution when travelling to rural or mountainous areas throughout the week.

On August 12, Spain will witness the first total solar eclipse visible from the Iberian Peninsula in more than a century. The eclipse is expected to peak at around 8:30 p.m. local time.

The upcoming eclipse is expected to draw larger crowds to natural areas across Spain as people seek to observe the phenomenon.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov