More than 50 municipalities in Portugal’s northern and central interior, along with the Faro district, are facing maximum rural fire danger today, according to the Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA).
The affected municipalities belong to the districts of Bragança, Vila Real, Viseu, Guarda, Castelo Branco, Santarém, Portalegre and Faro, matching the situation seen on Thursday.
IPMA also placed more than 100 municipalities in the districts of Porto, Aveiro, Vila Real, Viseu, Coimbra, Leiria, Lisbon, Guarda, Castelo Branco, Santarém, Setúbal, Portalegre, Évora, Beja and Faro under very high and high fire danger levels.
Rural fire danger as determined by IPMA is measured on a five-level scale, ranging from low to maximum. The calculations factor in air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and rainfall amounts over the preceding 24 hours.
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For today, IPMA forecasts periods of heavily overcast skies on the mainland, with generally light and scattered showers in the North and Center, less likely in the interior, weak to moderate wind, and a drop in maximum temperatures, particularly in the interior.
Minimum temperatures will range between 13 degrees Celsius in Guarda and 20 in Faro, while maximum temperatures will range between 24 degrees in Guarda, Leiria, Aveiro, Porto and Viana do Castelo, and 34 degrees in Faro.
