A fire risk alert has been issued for nearly all municipalities in the districts of Vila Real, Braga, Porto, Santarém, and Faro, while five municipalities in Portalegre are also under this severe alert from the Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA), indicating the highest level of fire risk.
Except for some coastal areas with reduced fire risk like Esposende in Braga and moderate risk in districts such as Porto, Aveiro, Leiria, and Lisbon, the rest of mainland Portugal is at a very high and elevated risk of fire.
This risk, determined by the IPMA, includes five levels from low to maximum, the latter being issued when extreme weather conditions like high temperatures and low humidity significantly increase the risk of fire ignition and spread.
Mainland Portugal entered an alert status today, extending until 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, due to worsening weather forecasts indicating a significant rural fire risk, announced Minister of Internal Administration Maria Lúcia Amaral on Saturday.
Today’s weather forecast by the IPMA includes hot temperatures and clear skies, with more cloud cover along the western coastal strip, and an expected rise in temperature, especially the maximum, along the west coast.
The wind will generally blow weakly from the east quadrant, sometimes strong in highlands until mid-morning and from late afternoon, temporarily moderating to northwest on the west coast during the afternoon, especially north of Cape Espichel.
Maximum temperatures today will range from 28 degrees Celsius in Aveiro to 42 degrees in Évora and Santarém.
