Scorching weather triggers heatwave warnings and wildfire alerts across Portugal
Temperatures remain scorching hot across Portugal this Wednesday, with five districts placed under orange weather warnings and nearly 40 municipalities facing maximum wildfire risk, according to the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and the Atmosphere (IPMA).
Many boroughs continue to face temperatures well over 30ºC, while some regions like the Alentejo bracing for temperatures up to 40ºC.
The districts of Bragança, Évora, Guarda, Vila Real, and Beja remain under orange alert until 6pm today, due to very lingering heatwave that is gripping the country. After that, the warning level drops slightly to yellow, but the heat is expected to continue through Thursday.
Faro is also under a yellow warning until 6pm today, while Viseu, Porto, Santarém, Viana do Castelo, Braga, Castelo Branco, and Portalegre will remain on yellow alert until at least 6pm on Thursday.
The orange alert is the second highest on IPMA’s three-level scale, signalling a moderate to high risk weather event. A yellow alert is issued when conditions may affect certain weather-sensitive activities but pose less direct threat to the general public.
Meanwhile, around 40 municipalities – mainly in Bragança, Viseu, Guarda, Castelo Branco, Portalegre, and Faro – are now classified as being at maximum wildfire risk.
The danger will continue throughout the coming days, as IPMA forecasts suggest fire risk levels will remain very high to maximum across much of the country through early next week.
The fire risk scale has five levels, from low to maximum. IPMA’s calculation takes into account recent rainfall, temperature, humidity, and wind speeds.
