Country on alert, with 150 municipalities at a maximum risk of fire. Iberian Peninsula, southern France, Mediterranean coast, Bulgaria, Romania and the East UK coastal zone face “extreme conditions” in the coming days.
Health authorities issued recommendations to the population because of the Heat wave that reaches mainland Portugal and should extend Until the 13thwarning of risks in the elderly, children, pregnant and chronic sick.
One published on the channel DowsNews shows, in a timelapse Built with data from the Reuters agency, the way this extreme heat wave will propagate in Portugal and Spain in the coming days, and affect the different regions of the Iberian Peninsula.
Continental Portugal has been on alert since Sunday due to the high risk of fire, a situation that will remain at least until Thursday.
Maximum fire risk in 150 municipalities
About 150 municipalities in the interior North and Center and two of the Algarve Tuesday are at maximum fire risk, according to the Portuguese Institute of Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA).
According to the IPMA, all the municipalities of the districts of Bragança, Guarda and Viseu are at maximum fire, as well as most in the districts of Vila Real, Porto, Braga and Castelo Branco.
Also at risk are dozens of municipalities in the districts of Viana do Castelo, Coimbra, Aveiro, Santarém, Leiria, Portalegre and Faro.
“Extreme conditions”
A Iberian Peninsula, o South of France, a Mediterranean coast, a Bulgaria, a Romaniaand the coastal zone of east of the United Kingdom face in the next seven days “Extreme conditions” that increase the risk of fires, was released on Tuesday.
The warning is contained in the climate of fires between today and August 12, released today by the Forest Fire Information System, dependent on the Copenicus emergency management service.
According to the document, quoted by the Spanish news agency EFE, since the beginning of the year a total of 1,478 fires were detected in the European Union territory, 448 more than in the same period as 2024.
The area burned this year also increased from 164,967 to 353.862 hectares.
Arrested
The Judicial Police (PJ) has, out of flagrant offense, an incendiary recurrence on suspicion of having set a forest fire on Sunday, in Águedathe criminal police agency said on Tuesday.
The same police stopped in Love A 52 -year -old man, this time in the act.
In Chaves, a man was arrested by the burning that gave rise to a forest fire. The burning, according to the, aimed to melt copper wires.
Almost a third of the fires began at night. According to data from the Nature and Forest Conservation Institute (ICNF), They burned 41,268 thousand hectares in 2025.
Heat wave: how to prepare
In a joint note, the Directorate-General for Health (DGS), the SNS Executive Directorate (DE-SNS) and the National Institute of Health Doctor Ricardo Jorge (Insa) warns of the impacts of maintenance of high temperatures on the health of the population and draw attention to The need for people to stay hydrated, drinking at least the equivalent of eight glasses of water a day.
Warn equally to the importance of Avoid alcoholic and caffeine and warn the population that should remain in fresh or air -conditioned environments, with shadows and air circulation, at least two to three hours a day, maintaining Windows, blinds and closed blinds In periods of higher heat, or in zones with risk of fires.
Also advise the population to Avoid direct exposure to the sunespecially between 11:00 and 17:00, always use sunscreen with a factor equal to or greater than 30, renewing the application every two hours, including after baths on the beach or in pools.
Health authorities also remember the importance of Wear light, light and wide clotheswhich cover most of their body, hat and sunglasses with ultraviolet protection, as well as Avoid activities abroad that require great physical efforts.
Advise NAS NAS HOURS OF LOWER HEAT, Remembering that temperatures are foreseen above 40ºC in the Alentejo region and inside the North and Center regions and that the minimum temperatures will also remain high, remaining above 20º in the interior of the country.
The note recalls the importance of paying special attention to the more vulnerable groups to the heat, such as children, elderly people, chronic, pregnant and workers with activities abroad, accompanying the people who live isolated.
In case of emergency, and a warning signs such as intense sweats, fever, vomiting/nausea or accelerated/weak pulse, authorities advise the population to contact the SNS 24 line, by number 808 24 24 24, or connecting to the European Emergency Number 112.
DGS, DE-SNS and INSA say the weather situation and its impact on health are still permanently followed, reinforcing the measures of the contingency plan for the seasonal health response, in articulation with regional and local structures.
