ByEuronews
Published on
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Based on the surge in hazardous conditions, Portugal declared an emergency state on Sunday due to intensifying wildfire risks amid severe heat.
Temperature predictions range from 36 to 44 degrees Celsius.
Portugal’s Minister of Internal Administration, Maria Lúcia Amaral, stated that restrictions on movement, dwelling, and activities within forest areas are to be in line with forest fire prevention strategies.
Due to extreme temperatures and minimal humidity, additional activities such as fireworks, construction work, machinery operation, and burning are also prohibited.
Northern Portugal’s five districts have been placed on red alert on Monday and Tuesday, while the remaining areas, except Faro district on yellow alert, will be on orange alert.
The emergency alert will continue through Thursday.
In the north of Portugal, forest fires are ongoing, leading to the evacuation of at least one village in the Douro region on Sunday.
Similar high temperatures are expected in Spain as a热 wave from North Africa envelops the Iberian Peninsula.
The second heatwave of the summer is projected to continue until the week concludes, excluding areas such as the Cantabrian region and the Canary Islands.
Given a forecast of over 40 degrees Celsius in Andalusia, Extremadura, Castilla-La Mancha, and Galicia, with valleys like the Guadalquivir possibly reaching up to 42 degrees, Spain’s Ministry of Health has issued a “red health alert” for numerous municipalities.
Both Portugal and Spain will experience peak heat intensities on Monday and Tuesday.
Curiously, traditionally cooler Nordic countries are also experiencing a “truly unprecedented” heatwave according to local authorities, with Finland observing three consecutive weeks with temperatures over 30 degrees in July.
Norway’s Meteorological Institute recorded temperatures above 30 degrees in July in its northern counties, and Swedish scientists have noted prolonged heatwaves affecting the country’s northern region.
Additionally, the region has faced storms and lightning strikes, triggering wildfires.
Eastern Poland has also been warned for severe storms, rain, and heat over the weekend, with strong winds and hail anticipated in various areas including Warmian-Masurian, Masovian, Lublin and Subcarpathian Voivodeships.
Conversely, the extended period of unstable weather that marked Italy’s summer is now subsiding after a series of heatwaves across the nation.
While rainstorms are currently affecting several regions, particularly those along the Adriatic coast, a 70-year-old man was saved after being struck by lightning on a beach in Piombino during a storm.
