Fires. More than 50 municipalities in maximum danger

More than 50 municipalities in Bragança, Vila Real, Viseu, Guarda, Coimbra, Castelo Branco, Santarém and Portalegre are at maximum risk of rural fires this Wednesday, according to the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA).

The IPMA has also placed several municipalities in all districts of mainland Portugal at very high and high risk of fire. According to the institute's calculations, the fire danger will remain high in some districts at least until the weekend.

This risk, determined by the IPMA, has five levels, ranging from low to maximum. The calculations are obtained from air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and amount of precipitation in the last 24 hours.

Forecasts of hot weather led the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANEPC) to warn on Tuesday of the “very high to maximum” danger of rural fires in the interior of the North, Center and Algarve regions, recommending preventive measures to the population.

Due to the hot weather, 16 districts in mainland Portugal are under a yellow warning this Wednesday due to the forecast of hot weather. The districts of Bragança and Vila Real are under an orange warning until 6:00 pm this Wednesday, then changing to a yellow warning until 6:00 pm on Friday.

The districts of Viseu, Porto, Faro, Setúbal, Santarém, Viana do Castelo, Lisbon, Leiria, Aveiro, Coimbra and Braga will be under yellow warning until 6 pm this Wednesday and Évora, Beja, Guarda, Castelo Branco and Portalegre until 6 pm on Friday.

The yellow warning, the least serious on a scale of three, is issued whenever there is a risk situation for certain activities dependent on the meteorological situation.