The Portuguese Institute of Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) reported on Thursday that the plumes from wildfires burning in mainland Portugal, especially in the North and Center regions, for several days “are visible about 500 km off the coast.”
“In the satellite image, it is possible to clearly identify the fire plumes over the Atlantic Ocean hundreds of kilometers west of mainland Portugal. In a rough estimate, it can be said that they are visible about 500 km off the coast of Portugal,” IPMA stated in a note on their Facebook page.
IPMA also mentioned that “September 16 and 17, 2024, presented extremely adverse weather conditions that facilitated the spread of forest fires.” On these days, they recorded “relative humidity values below 20% during the afternoons even near the coastal strip, maximum temperatures above 30°C, and strong easterly winds with gusts in the highlands of the mentioned regions.”
The European satellite surveillance system Copernicus also released an image on Wednesday showing the extent of the fire plumes.
It should be noted that seven people have died and 40 were injured, two seriously, in the fires that have been affecting the North and Center regions of the country since Sunday, in the districts of Aveiro, Porto, Coimbra, Vila Real, and Viseu. These fires have destroyed dozens of houses and forced the closure of roads and highways.
The burned area in mainland Portugal since Sunday exceeds 62,000 hectares, according to the European Copernicus system, which shows that 47,376 hectares have already burned in the North and Center regions.
The Government has already declared a state of calamity in all municipalities affected by the fires in recent days.
