The Portuguese Institute for the Sea and the Atmosphere (IPMA) placed around 70 municipalities in the districts of Bragança, Vila Real, Viseu, Guarda, Castelo Branco, Santarém, Portalegre and Faro at maximum fire risk, Lusa reports.

IPMA ranks fire risk on five levels: Reduced; Moderate; High; Very High; Maximum. The risks are measured on weather parameters such as air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, and accumulated precipitation over the prior 24 hours, combined with structural hazard of historical data on burned areas and local vegetation types.

Around one hundred municipalities in the districts of Viana do Castelo, Braga, Vila Real, Porto, Aveiro, Viseu, Coimbra, Leiria, Santarém, Portalegre, Beja and Faro are at very high risk.

More than 40 municipalities in the districts of Faro, Beja, Setúbal, Portalegre, Lisbon, Leiria, Coimbra, Aveiro, Porto, Braga and Viana do Castelo are already at high risk.

Today’s highest temperatures are expected in Évora at 39 degrees, Lisbon at 32 degrees, and Faro also at 32 degrees. IPMA forecasts a rise in temperature in the Algarve and an increase in wind intensity during the afternoon.