Firefighters in Spain and Portugal are battling wildfires ahead of an expected rise in temperatures that could worsen the situation on the Iberian Peninsula.

More than 1,300 firefighters backed up by a dozen waterbombing planes battled three big wildfires in central and northern Portugal on Tuesday, with authorities putting most of the country on red alert for fires after weeks of hot weather.

EL ARENAL, Spain/AROUCA, Portugal (Reuters) -Thousands of firefighters struggled to put out a dozen wildfires raging in northern Portugal and central Spain through the night and into Wednesday, in the largest wave of blazes in the Iberian Peninsula so far this year after weeks of summer heat.