Firefighters are battling major wildfires in France, Spain and Portugal, where a new heatwave, strong winds and prolonged dry conditions have turned large areas of southern Europe into high-risk fire zones.

In France, a wildfire that broke out on Saturday night in the south of the country has already burned around 4,600 hectares of land and forced more than 10,000 people to evacuate their homes. The blaze, burning in the Pyrénées-Orientales department near the Spanish border, has also disrupted the Tour de France.

The European Commission said it was sending four water-bombing aircraft from Cyprus and Sweden to support French crews operating around Perpignan. “Europe stands with France,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.

On the ground, the prefect of Pyrénées-Orientales said the priority was to resume the “fierce battle” to stop the fire from spreading further. Around 700 firefighters have been deployed, working in difficult conditions marked by strong winds, drought and high temperatures.

Five people, including two firefighters, have been injured. The fire has spread through the dry and hard-to-access Aspres massif, while around 50 buildings have been damaged.

The Tour de France began its third stage on Monday in Granollers, Spain, heading towards France. The final part of the stage was due to take place without spectators because of the fire risk in Pyrénées-Orientales.

French firefighting forces have also been mobilised on other fronts in the south of the country. Pyrénées-Orientales and 15 other French departments remain under orange heatwave alerts, with temperatures expected to reach 40C in some areas.

This is France’s third heatwave in less than two months, and meteorologists warn that the intensity and persistence of the heat are increasing the risk of wildfires. Météo-France has warned of a continued fire risk, with high temperatures expected to last until the end of the week.

In Spain, temperatures reached 43C on Sunday in parts of Andalusia and Extremadura. In Pamplona, where the San Fermín festival is getting under way, temperatures were expected to reach 39C on Monday.

Spain’s meteorological agency, Aemet, said the heatwave, which is mainly affecting the south and north of the country, is expected to last at least until Wednesday. Aemet spokesperson Rubén del Campo described the fire risk as “very high”, citing the intense heat expected to continue for much of the week.

In Catalonia, a wildfire near Girona remains under close surveillance. Smoke from the blaze threatened tourist beaches on the Costa Brava on Friday and reached Mallorca, more than 250 kilometres away. Firefighters continued working overnight from Sunday into Monday within a perimeter of more than 40 kilometres to prevent flare-ups.

In Portugal, a major wildfire in Vouzela, in the north of the country, has destroyed at least 13,000 hectares of vegetation, according to the latest figures from authorities. The Portuguese Civil Protection Agency said on Monday morning that the fire was under control and no longer at risk of spreading.

Large parts of Portugal remain under elevated or very elevated fire risk, while four regions in the north and centre of the country are under red alert because of high temperatures.