Sweltering temperatures across the country have seen weather authority IPMA place 50 boroughs on the danger list for fires.
Special orange and yellow alerts are in place over all 18 districts, with the most vulnerable being Viana do Castelo, Vila Real, Bragança, Braga, Porto, Guarda and Viseu.
The alerts are stay in place till the middle of the month and mean no-one should be lighting fires, burning garden refuse, setting up a camp and barbecuing or anything that involves outdoor ignitions of any kind – particularly in forest/ scrubland areas.
The government has also extended the traditional ‘critical fire period’ which used to come to a close on September 30 to at least October 15.
This is the second year running that blistering temperatures have continued into October.
With children now ‘back at school’ (strikes depending), the beaches are clear and lifeguards too are few and far between.
Warnings have thus gone out to locals lapping up the remains of the summer to be particularly careful.
The national maritime authority has stressed advice to people caught up in riptides which become much more prevalent at this time of year.
The advice involves people ‘letting themselves be taken by the currents “and not going into a panic”.
Calm and “not attempting to beat the current” are key.
Swimmers should then swim parallel to the coast until they “stop feeling the effect of the current”.
It’s at this point they can try and swim back to shore.
It’s simple advice that the authorities believe could save lives.
