Temperatures up to 30°C. Mainland Portugal and Madeira at high risk of ultraviolet radiation exposure

The heat is back. Maximum temperatures of 30°C are forecast for this Friday and the weekend in districts such as Beja, Évora, and Santarém, placing mainland Portugal and the Madeira archipelago at high risk of ultraviolet (UV) radiation exposure. According to the Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA), the Madeira archipelago and the districts of Viseu, Guarda, Castelo Branco, Lisbon, Santarém, Portalegre, Setúbal, Évora, Beja, and Faro are at very high risk levels, while Viana do Castelo, Braga, Porto, Vila Real, Bragança, Aveiro, Coimbra, and Leiria are at high risk. While Beja (Friday), Santarém, and Évora (both on Saturday) are expected to reach 30°C, maximum temperatures in Lisbon, Braga, Bragança, Castelo Branco, Portalegre, Coimbra, Viseu, Setúbal, Vila Real, and Leiria are expected to range between 25°C and 28°C over the weekend. The UV radiation scale has five levels, ranging from extreme to low risk. For regions at extreme risk, the IPMA recommends avoiding sun exposure as much as possible. For regions with very high risk, the institute advises the use of UV-filtered sunglasses, a hat, a t-shirt, a parasol, and sunscreen, and recommends avoiding sun exposure for children. For regions at high risk, the IPMA recommends the use of UV-filtered sunglasses, a hat, a t-shirt, and sunscreen.