Several municipalities in the northern and central interior regions and the Algarve are at very high risk of rural fires, according to the Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA).
This risk level, determined by IPMA, spans five categories ranging from low to maximum. The calculations are based on air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, and precipitation amounts over the past 24 hours.
Due to the hot weather, IPMA has placed the districts of Bragança and Vila Real, along with the Madeira archipelago, under a yellow alert until 6:00 PM today.
The yellow alert, the least severe on a three-tier scale, is issued whenever there is a potential risk for activities dependent on weather conditions.
Today, IPMA forecasts very cloudy skies in mainland Portugal with possible showers and thunderstorms, light winds, potential mist or fog along the western coastal strip, and a slight rise in temperature in the northern and central coastal regions.
Minimum temperatures are expected to range from 14 degrees Celsius in Braga to 22 degrees in Portalegre, while maximum temperatures will vary from 25 degrees in Viana do Castelo to 35 degrees in Santarém.
For the Madeira archipelago, partly cloudy skies are expected, with temporarily more cloudiness from the afternoon onwards, generally light winds, and a slight increase in the minimum temperature.
In Funchal, temperatures will range between 22 and 29 degrees, and in Porto Santo between 21 and 28 degrees.
