Portugal's Meteorological Institute (IM) posted a series of orange alerts on Sunday, following forecasts of temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius, which are unusually high for the country.

The IM posted orange alerts, Portugal's second most serious alert, for Oporto, Braga, Viana do Castelo, Vila Real, Braganza, Viseu, Castelo Branco, Guarda, Coimbra and Santarem, which are in the north and center of the country, as well as Beja and Evora in the south. In these areas, there is a moderate or high risk of forest fires, the IM said.

Portugal's National Firefighters and Civil Protection Service said that pensioners and young children in orange alert regions should drink a lot of fluid, wear light clothes and stay inside during the hottest hours of the day.

The Portuguese government also suggested that people suffering from poor heart conditions should keep their lower limbs elevated, adding that those people who could not avoid exposure to the sun should wear hats, light-colored clothing, sunscreen and should reduce physical work.

Portugal was under the influence of an eastern weather front which resulted in hot, dry conditions last week. Almost all of Portugal would be at temperatures between 35 and 40 degrees Celsius next week, although areas on the Atlantic coast would generally be cooler than inland, as the IM said.

Source: Xinhua