Firefighters gained control over some of the dozens of wildfires scorching Portugal on Wednesday, as fears mounted that weather conditions could further fan the flames.

Almost 2,700 firefighters battled Tuesday to contain forest blazes across Portugal that have led to almost the whole country being put on high alert for fires.Seventeen major fires blazed with the most serious in the centre and north of the country.

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.