More than 60 municipalities at maximum risk of fire

More than 60 municipalities in the districts of Bragança, Vila Real, Viseu, Guarda, Aveiro, Coimbra, Santarém, Castelo Branco, Portalegre and Faro are at maximum risk of fire this Thursday, according to the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA), which predicts a worsening of this risk in the coming days.

According to the IPMA, several municipalities in the northern and central interior and the Algarve are still at very high risk of rural fires. According to calculations, the rural fire danger will begin to increase throughout the week and at least until the beginning of next week.

This risk, determined by the IPMA, has five levels, ranging from low to high. Calculations are obtained from air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, and precipitation over the last 24 hours.

The IPMA (National Institute of Matriculation and Environment) forecasts temperatures rising starting this Thursday, potentially exceeding 40 degrees Celsius in some regions of mainland Portugal , especially inland. Minimum temperatures are expected to exceed 20°C in some inland areas, particularly in the south, Tagus Valley, and Beira Baixa.

Due to the hot weather, the IPMA (National Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources) issued a yellow warning for the districts of Évora, Faro, Setúbal, Santarém, Lisbon, Beja, and Portalegre between 9:00 a.m. on Friday and 6:00 p.m. on Saturday. A yellow warning is issued when certain activities pose a risk due to the weather.

On the mainland this Friday, partly cloudy or clear skies are expected, with strong winds on the western coastal strip and in the highlands, especially during the afternoon, and a rise in maximum temperatures, except in the northeast of Trás-os-Montes and Beira Interior.

Minimum temperatures will range between 11 degrees Celsius (in Guarda) and 20 degrees (in Faro) and maximum temperatures between 23 (Leiria, Aveiro, Porto and Viana do Castelo) and 34 (in Castelo Branco).