Southern Europe is experiencing an extreme heat wave that could be the longest since the 1960s. Temperatures in Spain and Portugal are reaching critical levels of +36 to +44 degrees Celsius, posing a serious threat to public health and ecosystems, Euronews reports.

The peak of the abnormal heat is expected on Monday and Tuesday in the Iberian Peninsula. National meteorological services have issued a "red warning" of adverse weather conditions for almost all regions of Spain, with the exception of Cantabria and the Canary Islands.

Climatologists explain the weather anomaly by the influence of hot air masses coming from northern Africa. The hot weather will last until the end of the current week, giving no respite to the region's residents.

Amid extreme temperatures, wildfires have already broken out in Portugal's Douro Valley, forcing authorities to evacuate the local population. All emergency services have been put on high alert.

This is the second heat wave this summer for Spain. Abnormally high temperatures have engulfed all of Southern Europe, where an unusually long period of heat has been observed.

Nordic countries have also seen unusual temperature records. In Finland, temperatures have not dropped below +30°C for three weeks in a row in July, while Sweden has seen 12 days of continuous heat.

Experts link the events to global climate change and warn of possible serious consequences for ecosystems and human health. According to scientists, such extreme weather events may become the new norm in a changing climate.