Hot weather warning has expanded in Portugal: 11 regions are on yellow alert, in some places it will last until Tuesday

Hot weather in Portugal will last longer than expected. According to IPMA's updated information on September 20, the yellow warning due to high temperature was expanded from nine regions to 11 regions.

The warning in Lisboa and Setúbal is expected to continue until Monday evening, and in nine regions in the north and central areas until Tuesday evening.

Which regions are under warning?

According to the last update:

Lisboa and Setúbal: Yellow warning until 19:00 on Monday, September 21.

Viana do Castelo, Braga, Vila Real, Bragança, Porto, Aveiro, Coimbra, Leiria and Santarém: Yellow warning until 18:00 on Tuesday, September 22.

The reason for the warning is the persistence of high maximum temperatures.

Why is it heating up again?

IPMA explains the temperature increase by the fact that the high pressure area north of the Azores extends towards the Bay of Biscay and carries warm and dry continental air over the Iberian Peninsula.

Maximum temperatures are expected to be above 30 degrees in most of the country.

It is possible for temperatures to reach higher values ​​in some regions.

IPMA states that this hot period attracts attention especially due to its duration and that meteorological "heat wave" criteria are likely to occur in large parts of the country.

What does the yellow warning mean?

IPMA's yellow level means there is a risk for certain activities due to weather conditions.

Therefore, especially outdoors Workers, the elderly, young children and people who are more sensitive to heat need to be more careful during the hottest hours of the day.

Fire danger also increased

Hot weather also increases rural fire danger.

As of September 20, nearly 60 municipalities were at maximum rural fire danger, with very high or maximum levels seen in large parts of the Northern, Central, Alto Alentejo and Algarve.

For this reason, it is necessary to follow the hot weather warning and the fire danger not as two separate developments, but as linked results of the same meteorological picture.

Resources

IPMA

https://www.ipma.pt/

RTP / Lusa — 19 September 2026, previous alert update

https://www.rtp.pt/noticias/pais/ipma-alarga-periodo-de-aviso-amarelo-para-nove-distritos-devido-ao-calor_n1766491

Diário de Viseu / Lusa — 20 September 2026, latest situation expanding to 11 regions

https://www.diarioviseu.pt/2026/09/20/cerca-de-60-concelhos-em-perigo-maximo-de-incendio-rural/