The SRPCM information is based on forecasts from the Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA), which, in addition to hot weather, predicts “east/northeast winds, sometimes strong in the highlands and the extreme east and west of Madeira Island with gusts up to 70 kilometers per hour.”
“The rural fire danger will be very high to extreme, especially in the mountainous regions and the southern slope of Madeira Island,” noted the Civil Protection.
Civil Protection also warns that, depending on the weather forecasts, forest fires may occur, “in a context that could complicate suppression actions.”
Moreover, it adds that there might be an “increase in the sensation of heat” and risks of dehydration and heat stress.
The regional service also reminds that a ban is in effect on making fires or bonfires, whether for leisure or cooking, an activity only permissible in authorized places and “never on days of high fire risk.”
The SRPC emphasizes avoiding all behaviors that could start forest fires on the island, further banning the use of burning and combustion equipment intended for lighting or other types, of cut and piled bushes, launching balloons with lit wicks or rockets, as well as smoking or making any kind of fire in rural areas and the roads that surround them.
Civil Protection also recommends adapting personal behaviors and preventive measures against heat, such as staying in cool areas, avoiding alcoholic drinks and activities with direct sun exposure, including physical exercise, paying special attention to more vulnerable populations (children and the elderly, among others), and wearing appropriate clothing.
The IPMA has placed the mountainous areas of Madeira under an orange alert, the second most severe on a four-level scale, until 6 PM on Monday, with a yellow alert for the island’s southern coast.
