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A dry, sun-baked plain of golden stubble and scattered cork oaks in Portugal's Alentejo during the summer drought

Mainland Portugal Enters Meteorological Drought After Its Driest July of the Century

The whole of mainland Portugal has entered meteorological drought after the driest July so far this century, IPMA data show, with rainfall under 8% of normal, a heat wave among the fiercest since 1981 and 44.3C recorded at Mora. Here is what it means as the fire season peaks.

The Portugal Brief 07 Aug 2026

A parched Portuguese landscape after wildfire near Pedrogao Grande, with charred pine trees, dry dusty ground and a road under a hot clear sky

A Heatwave Drives Almost the Entire Mainland to Maximum Fire Danger This Week

Every northern and central district plus Faro sits at maximum fire risk on Monday, with IPMA yellow warnings almost nationwide through Tuesday evening. Highs of 40°C are forecast for Santarém and Évora, and the elevated danger is expected to last all week.

The Portugal Brief 03 Aug 2026

A Copernicus Sentinel satellite view of Portugal with a plume of wildfire smoke drifting off the coast over the Atlantic near Lisbon

The Valpaços Fire Is Brought Under Control After Charring 16,000 Hectares, but a Blistering Heatwave Keeps Portugal's Interior on Edge

Firefighters have brought the summer's biggest blaze under control after it burned more than 16,000 hectares across 14 municipalities around Valpaços, damaging around 20 homes. But a relentless heatwave keeps interior and southern Portugal under a state of alert as the peak fire month begins.

The Portugal Brief 02 Aug 2026

A lone cork oak in a golden wheat field under a clear blue sky in the Alentejo, southern Portugal

A Yellow Heat Warning Blankets Every Mainland District but Faro as the Douro, Tejo and Guadiana Valleys Push Past 40 Degrees

IPMA has placed every mainland district except Faro under a yellow warning from Monday morning to Tuesday evening, with the Douro, Tejo and Guadiana valleys forecast to pass 40°C and tropical nights in the eastern Algarve. Almost the entire mainland faces maximum or very high fire danger.

The Portugal Brief 27 Jul 2026

A red-and-white Canadair CL-415 water-bomber aircraft flying low over a forested mountainside during aerial firefighting

Portugal Triggers the EU Civil Protection Mechanism and Asks Spain and Morocco for Water-Bombers as 46 Wildfires Burn in a Red-Alert Heatwave

With almost the entire mainland at very high or maximum fire risk and temperatures above 40C, Portugal activated the EU Civil Protection Mechanism on Friday and asked Spain and Morocco for Canadair water-bombers. Some 46 rural fires are burning; the Vouzela blaze alone has scorched over 7,000 hectar

The Portugal Brief 04 Jul 2026

A golden dry wheat field with cork oak trees under a hazy blue summer sky in Portugal's Alentejo interior

As a 42°C Heatwave Builds, Portugal Leans on Existing Labour Law for Worker Protection While the ACT Notifies 200,000 Employers of Their Duties

As the IPMA forecasts highs near 42°C in Portugal's interior, the government says the law already protects workers — though it sets no temperature at which work stops. The ACT has notified 200,000 employers of their duty to provide water, ventilation and breaks.

The Portugal Brief 02 Jul 2026

The sun blazing over a vast expanse of cracked, sun-baked earth

Portugal Braces for a 40°C Heatwave as Forecasters Warn of Tropical Nights and Rising Fire Risk

After a brief cool spell, IPMA expects a new heatwave from Thursday, with highs near 40°C in Lisbon and up to 42°C in the interior into early July, warm tropical nights and a sharp rise in wildfire risk across the country.

The Portugal Brief 27 Jun 2026

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