Lisbon, Aug 7
The maximum temperature will rise again over the weekend across most of mainland Portugal, potentially reaching 43 degrees Celsius in the southern interior and in the Tejo and Douro valleys, according to the Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere.
Forest fires have consumed nearly 42,000 hectares in Portugal this year, eight times more than in the same period in 2024 and the highest figure since 2022, the Integrated Rural Fire Management System (SGIFR) said on Tuesday.
Lusa News Agency quoted the minister as saying that "We are using all available means within our capacity, even though resources are always limited. What we have in place represents the greatest effort made so far in fighting forest fires."
She stressed that the government's top priority is to prevent the situation from worsening. "Our foremost duty is to ensure the situation does not become more difficult. We are fully focused on fighting the fires to protect lives and property. To that end, we have mobilised every available resource."
Amaral noted that Portugal currently has 72 firefighting aircraft operational, with coordination between the National Authority for Emergency and Civil Protection, the Air Force, and the Ministry of Defence.