Nine districts of mainland Portugal are under yellow alert, this Wednesday, due to the forecast of hot weather, with temperatures that can reach 39 degrees Celsius (ºC) in Évora, according to the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and the Atmosphere (IPMA).

Under yellow alert are the districts of Vila Real, Bragança, Viseu, Guarda, Castelo Branco, Santarém, Portalegre, Évora and Beja.

The yellow warning (the least serious of a scale of three) is issued by the IPMA whenever there is a risk for certain activities depending on the weather situation.

The IPMA forecasts warm weather for this Wednesday on the continent with periods of very cloudy skies, an increase in the maximum temperature on the coast, fog or morning fog in the coastal strip north of Cape Shallow.

The forecast also points to showers, which will be locally accompanied by a thunderstormhail and gusts of wind, especially in the North and Center regions.

Light to moderate wind is also expected from the south quadrant, sometimes blowing hard in the highlands.

The minimum temperatures will range between 15ºC in Viana do Castelo, Braga and Leiria and 23ºC in Portalegre and the maximum between 30ºC in Aveiro and 39ºC in Évora.

Nearly 60 counties from eight districts in maximum danger

Due to the heat forecast, some 60 municipalities in eight districts of continental Portugal present, this Wednesday, a maximum fire danger, according to the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and the Atmosphere (IPMA).

In maximum danger of fire are the municipalities of the districts of Lighthouse, Portalegre, Castelo Branco, Santarém, Guarda, Viseu, Vila Real and Bragança.

The IPMA also placed more than 60 municipalities in the districts of Braga, Coimbra, Leiria, Beja, Faro, Portalegre, Castelo Branco, Santarém, Guarda, Viseu, Vila Real and Bragança in very high fire danger.

Fire danger will remain high in some regions of the continent at least until Sunday due to the heat forecast.

Fire danger, determined by the IPMA, has five levels, ranging from low to high. The calculations are obtained from the air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and the amount of precipitation in the last 24 hours.