Portugal weather forecast: High risk of thunderstorms and wildfires

Parts of Portugal are bracing for thunderstorms and heavy rain on Monday while other areas remain under very high wildfire risk, according to weather experts.

The Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) has placed five inland districts under yellow weather warnings for showers and thunderstorms, while 22 municipalities across the Algarve, central Portugal and the northeast face a very high risk of rural fires.

The districts of Bragança, Viseu, Guarda, Vila Real and Castelo Branco are under yellow alert due to forecasts of showers that could be heavy at times and accompanied by frequent, scattered thunderstorms.

The yellow warning is the least severe on Portugal’s three-level weather alert scale but indicates a potential risk for certain activities and travel.

According to the IPMA, much of mainland Portugal can expect generally clear skies during the morning before cloud cover increases over inland areas later in the day, bringing the possibility of locally intense downpours and thunderstorms.

Winds are forecast to remain light to moderate from the northwest, strengthening in higher areas during the evening. Temperatures are expected to fall slightly across northern and central regions but rise in the south, particularly along the Algarve’s coastline.

Maximum temperatures are forecast to range from 21C in Aveiro to 34C in Évora, while overnight lows will vary between 14C in Guarda and 18C in Lisbon.

Despite the forecast rain in some areas, wildfire danger remains elevated across large parts of the country.

Twenty-two municipalities in the districts of Faro, Santarém, Leiria, Coimbra, Castelo Branco and Bragança are classified as facing a very high risk of rural fires.

In the Algarve, the municipalities of Silves, Loulé, São Brás de Alportel and Tavira are among those under the very high risk warning.

Several municipalities in Santarém district, including Tomar, Ourém, Alcanena, Chamusca and Ferreira do Zêzere, are also affected, alongside areas of Leiria district such as Batalha, Marinha Grande, Figueiró dos Vinhos and Pedrógão Grande.

The IPMA has additionally classified large areas of the districts of Faro, Beja, Évora, Lisbon, Leiria, Santarém, Coimbra, Castelo Branco, Portalegre, Viseu, Porto, Viana do Castelo, Vila Real and Bragança as facing a high risk of wildfire.

Looking ahead, forecasters warn that wildfire conditions are expected to worsen from Wednesday onwards, with elevated fire danger likely to persist across much of the country at least until the weekend.