Portuguese authorities have said that at least 27 people have died as a result of wildfires sparked around the country amid high temperatures and strong winds fanned by the ex-hurricane storm Ophelia on Sunday.

It is hoped that the final death toll will be lower than the 64 who perished in June’s blazes around Pedrógão Grande in the centre of the country, but fire crews were still fighting more than 100 of the 523 wildfires registered on Sunday in what authorities called Portugal’s “worst day of the year” for fires.