According to the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA), which also forecasts the risk for Madeira, about 50 municipalities on the Portuguese mainland are at maximum risk of fire this Wednesday due to the hot weather.
On the continent, about 50 municipalities in the districts of Faro, Castelo Branco, Santarem, Coimbra, Viseu, Portalegre, Guarda, Vila Real and Bragança are at maximum risk of fire.
The highest maximum temperatures forecast for Wednesday will be reached in Castelo Branco and Evora at 38 degrees Celsius, followed by Portalegre and Beja at 36 degrees, and Santarem, Braga and Bragança at 34.
IPMA has also placed several municipalities in all districts of mainland Portugal at very high fire risk.
IPMA estimates that fire danger will remain in some areas until at least Sunday.
This risk, defined by IPMA, has five levels, from low to maximum. The calculations are based on air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and the amount of precipitation over the past 24 hours.
Due to the heat, IPMA has maintained a yellow warning for the areas of Bragança, Évora, Castelo Branco, Guarda, Beja and Portalegre until 6:00 pm this Wednesday.
The island of Madeira, where a rural fire has been raging for more than a week, also poses very high, high and moderate rural fire risk in some areas this Wednesday, according to IPMA, which has extended a yellow weather warning for warm weather on the north and south coasts, mountainous areas and Porto Santo until 00:00 on Thursday.
A yellow warning is issued by IPMA when a risk situation arises for certain activities depending on the meteorological situation.
IPMA forecasts variable cloudiness to clear skies and light to moderate winds from the northern quadrant shifting to the western quadrant this Wednesday across the continent, with occasional strong winds from the north-east in the mountainous areas of the North and Central regions until mid-morning.
The forecast also indicates a slight increase in maximum temperatures in the Northern and Central regions, especially on the coast.
Minimum temperatures will range from 14 degrees (in Leiria) to 23 degrees (in Castelo Branco and Faro), and maximum temperatures will range from 26 (in Aveiro) to 38 degrees (in Castelo Branco and Evora).
For the Madeira archipelago, IPMA forecasts partly cloudy to clear skies with periods of very cloudy weather on the north side of Madeira Island and in Porto Santo until mid-morning.
Light to moderate winds from the north-east are also forecast, with strong winds at times in the highlands and in the extreme east and west of Madeira Island.
In Funchal, temperatures will range from 22 to 29 degrees Celsius, and in Porto Santo from 21 to 26.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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