The Portuguese government has declared an eight-day state of alert due to an increased threat of wildfires, as the drought-stricken country braces for a heatwave with temperatures of up to 43 degrees Celsius.
The weather situations are leading to “a significant increase in the threat of wildfires” through July 15, according to a set of five ministries.
Declaring a state of alert the government’s transitory force to issue precautionary measures.
The restrictions followed on Friday include a ban on forests that are considered a specific threat to the public, a ban on the use of agricultural machinery that can produce sparks and a ban on fireworks used at summer festivals.
Portugal has experienced dramatic forest fires.
In 2017, fires killed more than a hundred people.
Heat waves and droughts are unusual in Portugal, but forecasters say all of southern Europe can expect higher temperatures and a decrease in rainfall due to global warming.
The European Union’s executive branch, the European Commission, says climate change is causing the continent to face one of its most difficult years when it comes to plant-based mistakes, such as droughts and wildfires.
In Spain, temperatures are expected to rise to 42 degrees Celsius over the weekend in some spaces along the border with Portugal.
Spain’s June rains are a part of the average of the last 30 years and the country’s reservoirs have an average capacity of forty-five percent, according to government data.
Italy has also recently experienced a prolonged heat wave and is experiencing its worst drought in 70 years.
In Portugal, 96% of the country was classified at the end of June in “extreme” or “severe” drought, the two highest categories.
As long as Portugal’s emergency restrictions are in place, police and rangers will be on permanent alert and conduct normal patrols.
The Portuguese government says that during the peak fire season from July to September, Portugal will have at its disposal around 13,000 firefighters and related personnel, more than 2,800 cars and 60 firefighting aircraft.
Portugal has taken a step forward in its forest control and other methods since the 2017 deaths stunned the country; no one has died in a forest chimney since.
Last year, it recorded its lowest number of wildfires since 2011.