Torrid heat spell torments Portugal

LISBON, PORTUGAL » Portugal is bracing for a heat wave, with temperatures in some areas forecast to climb as high as 109 F this weekend just as a severe drought grips the country.

The Civil Protection Agency, a Portuguese government body that coordinates official responses to emergencies, said Thursday it is placing crews on high alert because of the risk of wildfires. About a third of the country faces an extreme risk of forest fires, authorities say.

The high temperatures are forecast to last at least a week. The national weather service IPMA says what it calls “tropical nights,” when temperatures stay above 68 F after sunset, are likely.

The government said it will place the country on a formal state of alert against wildfires today. That step grants authorities special powers, such as outlawing stubble burning and fireworks at summer festivals, and allows it to requisition equipment such as bulldozers for clearing fire breaks.

More than half of Portugal’s wildfires start due to negligence, studies show.

The hot spell comes as much of Portugal endures a drought. At the end of June, 96% of the country was classified as being in either “extreme” or “severe” drought — the two highest categories.

The weather service says that over the nine months since last October rainfall was just over half the average for the period and was the second-lowest since 1931, when reliable national records began.