Twenty municipalities in the districts of Castelo Branco, Guarda, Viseu, Vila Real, and Bragança are at maximum fire risk today due to the forecast of hot weather, according to the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA).

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

The fire danger will remain high in some regions of the country at least until Tuesday due to the forecast for warm weather.

The fire danger, determined by IPMA, has five levels, ranging from low to maximum.

The rankings are deduced from the air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and precipitation levels in the previous 24 hours.

The IPMA forecasts for today show periods of cloudy skies and showers, especially in the North and Centre, which may be accompanied by thunderstorms.

The forecast also points to weak to moderate wind prevailing from the south, sometimes strong with gusts of up to 60 kilometres per hour in the highlands. There may also be fog or mist in the morning in some places and a rise in maximum temperature, except on the coast.

The minimum temperatures will range between 14 degrees Celsius in Lisbon, 19 in Guarda and Bragança, 23 in Porto and Viana do Castelo, and 36 in Beja, Castelo Branco and Vila Real.