Portugal to put Lisbon region under red alert as heat rises
Forecasters warned parts of Portugal could reach 44C as authorities prepared shelters for vulnerable people during a week of extreme heat.
By Lucas Ferreira · Science & Environment Writer
3 min read
Portugal is preparing to place coastal areas including Lisbon under its highest heat warning as temperatures climb after the country avoided the worst of a broader European heat wave. The alert matters because forecasters expect some areas to reach 44C, with several warm nights offering little relief.
The Portuguese Institute for the Sea and Atmosphere, known as IPMA, said the Lisbon and Setubal regions will be under red alert for high temperatures on Thursday. The agency said that warning will expand Friday to Leiria and Coimbra, farther north, where some places could reach 44C.
IPMA put four inland regions under orange alert on Wednesday, including Evora, where temperatures could reach 41C. The agency said its second-highest warning will apply to all areas not covered by the red alert.
Heat expected to last at least a week
IPMA said in a statement late Tuesday that the length of the hot spell stood out. The agency said the period of very hot weather was expected to continue for at least a week.
Forecasters said coastal regions would be hotter because sea breezes were lacking. IPMA also said overnight temperatures may remain between 24C and 28C for several nights, increasing the strain on people without effective cooling.
In Evora, AFP reported that temperatures neared 40C and that the historic city’s streets emptied during the afternoon. Tourists sheltered in cafes and on shaded terraces, some cooled by fans.
“Usually we get temperatures like this in August; this year they're happening earlier,” Jose Bonifacio, a 31-year-old busker in a downtown Evora square, said.
Carlos Guedes, a 53-year-old construction worker from northern Portugal, said the afternoon heat was difficult but workers had to endure it. He said he was “not used to such intense heat.”
Government asks cities to prepare shelters
The Portuguese government urged residents to follow health authority recommendations. It also asked municipalities to identify places where vulnerable people identified by health services can take shelter.
Ana Povo, secretary of state for health, told a Wednesday news conference that those locations could include public buildings and churches. She said private sites such as shopping centers and hotels could also be used.
The heat in Portugal follows a severe hot spell across Europe. The World Weather Attribution group of scientists said the recent heat wave was the most severe recorded in Europe and would have been “virtually impossible” in June without climate change.
Temperature records have fallen in several countries during the episode, according to AFP. All-time highs were recorded in Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary, while June records were broken in the U.K. and Switzerland.
France also faced record-breaking average temperatures, according to AFP. The country recorded its highest-ever nighttime temperatures during the heat wave.
This story draws on original reporting from Phys.org.