Fire crews in Greece, Spain, and Portugal are racing to contain wildfires. Calmer winds on Thursday have helped slow the blazes.

Greece battled a dozen major wildfires, including one threatening its third-largest city Patras, as a heatwave stoked blazes and forced the evacuation of thousands in southern Europe.

Spain on Thursday mourned its third wildfire death this week and Greece began beating back a blaze threatening its third-largest city as an unrelenting heatwave stoked tinderbox conditions in southern Europe.

Thousands of people have been evacuated as wildfires continue to rage across parts of Greece and Spain, as high temperatures and strong winds create difficult conditions for firefighters.

All of Spain was on heatwave alert on Friday, while the weather agency warned that much of the country was at "very high to extreme risk" from wildfires.

The European Union has sent two firefighting planes to Spain to help battle raging wildfires, after the country activated the bloc's disaster assistance mechanism for the first time. The assistance comes as the country recorded a third wildfire-related death on Thursday morning.

The UK's favourite holiday destinations are taking a hard stance on illegal tourist apartments in a bid to curb overtourism - Spain has joined Italy, France, the Netherlands, Portugal and Greece in cracking down on unlicensed properties.

King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain, along with their teenage daughters, are reportedly taking a private family vacation in southern Greece, staying at the residence of another royal family.

The Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has updated travel guidance for people going to Spain, Portugal and Greece. Wildfires have raged across the three countries, which are all very popular destinations with UK holidaymakers.

Spain’s national weather agency warned of extreme fire risk in most of Spain, including where the largest blazes were burning in the north