The municipalities under alert, as defined by the Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA), are located in the districts of Vila Real, Bragança, Viana do Castelo, Guarda, Viseu, Coimbra, Castelo Branco, Santarém, Portalegre, and Faro.
IPMA has placed almost all municipalities in mainland districts at a ‘very high’ and ‘high’ fire risk.
Only about 30 municipalities along the country’s coast have a moderate or reduced fire risk.
The fire risk, assessed by IPMA, is categorized into five levels, ranging from reduced to maximum.
The risk levels are calculated using air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, and precipitation in the last 24 hours.
Amid the heatwave affecting the country, IPMA has issued a red warning for seven mainland districts from today until Tuesday, namely Lisbon, Setúbal, Santarém, Évora, Beja, Castelo Branco, and Portalegre.
The remaining districts will have orange (the second highest) and yellow warnings, varying between today and Tuesday.
Today’s forecast for mainland Portugal expects continued hot weather, with mostly clear skies, though occasional cloudiness is anticipated along the western coastal strip, particularly north of Cabo Raso, and inland during the afternoon.
Conditions are favorable for scattered showers and thunderstorm activity in the interior, especially in the North and Center, during the afternoon, alongside a slight increase in temperature.
The wind will generally be light from the north but will be from the east until mid-morning, occasionally becoming moderate (up to 30 km/h) along the western coast. Maximum temperatures will range from 44 degrees Celsius in Beja to 25 in Aveiro.
The day will see extreme heat, prompting IPMA to issue red level warnings in Alentejo, Vale do Tejo, and Beira Baixa. Instability is expected to increase, with possible scattered showers and thunderstorms, particularly in interior regions.
