The Portuguese Institute of Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) has issued a warning for fire risk in several municipalities within the districts of Guarda, Viseu, Coimbra, Castelo Branco, Santarém, Portalegre, and Faro.
Additionally, various municipalities across almost all districts of mainland Portugal are at ‘very high’ and ‘high’ risk of fires.
Around 30 municipalities located along the coast are experiencing a moderate or reduced fire risk.
The fire risk index, as determined by the IPMA, has five levels, ranging from reduced to maximum risk.
This index is calculated using data on air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, and precipitation levels over the last 24 hours.
Due to the hot weather, an orange weather alert is in effect until Monday for 13 districts of mainland Portugal: Évora, Faro, Setúbal, Beja, Portalegre, Bragança, Viseu, Guarda, Vila Real, Santarém, Lisbon, Castelo Branco, and Coimbra.
The orange alert, the second most severe on a three-tier scale, is issued when there is a “moderate to elevated meteorological risk.” The yellow alert, the least severe, is declared when there is a risk to certain activities dependent on meteorological conditions.
The weather forecast for today on the mainland includes hot conditions with mostly clear skies, some cloudiness along the northern and central coasts until mid-morning, and in the interior during the afternoon, alongside rising temperatures, particularly maximum temperatures.
There is also a possibility of scattered showers and thunderstorms in the central and southern interior regions during the afternoon, with mist or fog in some locations along the western coastal strip, especially north of Cabo Raso.
Winds will generally be light from the north quadrant, shifting to the east quadrant until mid-morning, occasionally reaching moderate speeds (up to 30 km/h) on the western coastal strip. Maximum temperatures are expected to range between 43 degrees Celsius in Beja and 25 degrees Celsius in Aveiro.
