Temperatures soar as wildfires force the evacuation of 1,400 in Portugal

Residents use buckets of water to try to slow the flames approaching their homes in Alcabideche, outside Lisbon (Armando Franca/AP)

More than 1,000 firefighters are battling a series of wildfires in Portugal as it and neighbouring Spain experience several days of extreme summer heat, with temperatures in many areas rising above 40C.

Three major fires raged in Portugal on Tuesday, with the biggest in the southwest near the town of Odemira, where on Monday about 1,400 people were evacuated from villages and a campsite as a precaution.