40 municipalities in ‘very elevated risk of wildfires’ this Sunday

As October’s unseasonably high temperatures continue, IPMA meteorological institute has put 40 boroughs in the districts of Bragança, Viseu, Guarda, Castelo Branco, Coimbra, Santarém and Faro under ‘very elevated risk of wildfires’ today, while another 80 are considered to be in elevated risk. Portugal’s interior minister José Luís Carneiro has already said authorities may well have to extend the traditional ‘peak wildfire season’ – running from July 1 to September 30 – to include October. Temperatures are expected to remain ‘high’ for the majority of next week