Alert: Twelve districts remain under orange alert until next Tuesday
Portugal Under Continuous Wildfire Risk Alert Until August 13
Portugal is currently facing a high risk of wildfires, with the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) issuing alerts for all 18 districts of continental Portugal. The alert situation is due to a prolonged heatwave that has been affecting the country since August 3, 2025.
The IPMA has announced an orange alert for 12 districts, including Bragança, Vila Real, Viseu, Évora, Guarda, Beja, Castelo Branco, Portalegre, Faro, Setúbal, Santarém, and Lisbon. This alert will remain in effect until 6:00 PM on Tuesday, August 13. Six additional districts, Porto, Viana do Castelo, Leiria, Aveiro, Coimbra, and Braga, are under a yellow alert, also until 6:00 PM on Tuesday.
The high risk of wildfires in continental Portugal is expected to persist from August 3 to August 13. The risk in the interior North and Center of Portugal is at a 'maximum' or 'very high' level. The IPMA has warned that most municipalities in these regions, as well as in the Algarve region, are at 'maximum' or 'very high' fire risk from today until at least August 18.
The rest of the continental territory in Portugal is at 'high' or 'moderate' fire risk. The IPMA considers the risk in the Algarve region to be at 'maximum' or 'very high' level.
The IPMA issues alerts - red, orange, and yellow - when there is a meteorological risk situation, which can be evaluated as high, moderate, or low risk. The red warning, the highest level, is currently extended until Monday, August 11, in the districts of Vila Real and Bragança due to extreme heat, with temperatures reaching up to 42ºC and higher. The orange warning is in effect until at least August 13 in several districts, including Viseu, Guarda, and Castelo Branco, which initially had the alert. From August 10 onward, Portalegre, Évora, and Beja also joined this category.
The yellow warning, the lowest level, has been applied to the North and Central coasts, Santarém, Lisbon, Setúbal, Faro, Aveiro, and Coimbra at different times during this period, reflecting widespread warm conditions. By August 10, no district was without some level of heat warning.
The government has renewed the national fire risk alert status through August 13, based on ongoing high temperatures and fire risk despite some decrease in fires due to restrictions.
This national alert underscores the persistent heat and forest fire risk during this period. The IPMA advises the public to exercise caution and to follow all safety guidelines during this time.
Weather forecasting services have predicted continued high risk of wildfires in Portugal until August 13, aligning with the ongoing national fire risk alert. The high fire risk in many districts of continental Portugal is attributed to the extended heatwave and meteorological risk situation, as warned by the IPMA.
