Portugal Situation Report Wednesday 3rd August 2022
Good morning, July has been a bad month as far as rural fires are concerned, the brunt of the fires being experienced in the north of the mainland as well as the centre, with fewer in the south. The correlation between these ignitions and the metrological situation is simple – during heatwaves we can expect more fires.
Each day we publish detailed information from the IPMA which clearly shows forecast metrological conditions. When the rural fire hazard was extreme as it was in the case of the lead up to the Gambales, Faro fire on 13th July it was clear from this and other indicators that a major fire would take place – and it did.
How many more fires there will be this summer will depend on the number and duration of heatwaves. These occur when the maximum remains five degrees above average for at least six consecutive days. Experts predict in August: temperatures above normal in the interior and slightly below average on the coast. The occurrence of a heat wave as extreme as the one in July seems, at least for now, unlikely, but we must be prepared both in terms of fire preparedness and the effects on health and adopt measures accordingly.
July was by far the busiest month for our volunteer team at Safe Communities since our coverage of Covid-19 last year and for that reason I would like to share with you some statistics showing our work. During July we posted on Facebook:
Full information and progress (entire mainland) of “fires of importance”: 89
Major fires on SCP website – 4
Weather warnings, alerts and information: 74
Fire danger warnings: 69
Fire prevention and preparedness information: 50
Other public safety advice: 42
Police news and crime prevention: 51
Other news: 51
Gambelas, Faro fire (3 posts): reach 115,976
Largest single post reached: 88,773
New followers on Facebook: 1621
Our remit at Safe Communities Portugal remains the same: public awareness, prevention, and preparedness covering rural fires and other major disasters such as: flooding, earthquakes, cyclones and others. We keep track of all fires, keeping people informed in detail through reliable sources when these become “fires of importance” (ANEPC), in other words more major events including those that have a clear risk to life and property. In this regards we liaise regularly with all the emergency services. This would not be possible without a great team of volunteers. I therefore thank our safety team: Fernanda Gonçalves, Susan Wright, Antonia Vignolo, Pedro Taboada, Daniel Fernandes and Mike Evans for all the voluntary work they do. Thank you everyone for sharing and following the information we provide – “forewarned is forearmed”.
Have a Safe Day
News:
GNR arrested suspect in the act of setting fire with a lighter in Vila Real
Vila Real, Aug 02, 2022 (Lusa) – The GNR arrested a 39-year-old man suspected of starting fires in a forest area, in Vila Real, using a lighter, the territorial command of the police force announced today.
After a forest fire alert on Monday, elements of the Forest Protection Team (EPF), from the Vila Real Environmental Protection Centre (NPA), moved “immediately” to the place where they detected the suspect igniting fires.
According to the GNR, in a statement, the suspect would be starting the fires with “recourse to a lighter”, in a forest area.
The Guard added that the fire had consumed about one hectare of land.
The suspect was detained by the GNR and the facts were sent to the Vila Real Judicial Court.
The Vila Real Territorial Command also said that this year it identified 42 suspects of forest fires, of which 11 were arrested in the act.
In 2021, 83 suspects of the same crime were identified, and eight were arrested in the act.
The GNR recalled that burnings and fires are the main causes of fires in Portugal, that burning, burning piles and fires is prohibited whenever there is a “very high” or “maximum” level of rural fire danger. ”, depending on authorization or prior communication in other periods.
To avoid accidents, the Guard asks that safety rules be followed and recalls that the SOS Ambiente e Território Line (808 200 520) is permanently available to report infractions or clarify doubts.
Wine production in Portugal is expected to fall by 9%
Number compared to the last harvest, with the Douro, Porto and Lisbon regions highlighted, according to the forecasts of the Instituto da Vinha e do Vinho (IVV) released today.
“According to the forecasts of the IVV, resulting from the consultation made with the representative regional entities, wine production in Portugal is expected to fall by around 9% compared to the previous harvest (characterized by an abnormally high production) ,” he said in a statement .
However, estimates point to a volume of around 6.7 million hectoliters, 2% more than the average of the last five campaigns.
By region, Douro and Porto and Lisbon stand out with expected drops of 20% in terms of volume.
The regions of Minho (10%) and Terras de Cister (10%), in turn, should present the highest percentage increases.
The IVV also mentioned that, in general, the grapes present a “good phytosanitary state”, without diseases or pests.
However, the heat and the lack of water “could accentuate the water stress, so the weather conditions that occur until the harvest will be decisive in the quantity and quality of the harvest”, he pointed out.
Daily energy consumption increased by 7.2% in July and hit records in the summer
High temperatures led electricity consumption in Portugal to rise by 7.2% in July and to reach the highest value ever in summer on July 13
Electricity consumption in Portugal rose 7.2% in July compared to the same period last year, due to high temperatures, having reached, on the 13th, the highest value ever in summer, according to REN data.
Thus, according to information released by REN – Redes Energéticas Nacionais, “electricity consumption in Portugal increased by 7.2% in July, compared to the same period last year, driven by temperatures above normal values that were felt” .
At the same time, “on the 13th, a Wednesday, there was even the highest daily consumption ever recorded in Portugal in the summer period, 163.5 GWh [gigawatts-hour], exceeding the previous maximum, recorded in 2010”, highlighted.
According to the same data, “with correction for the effects of temperature and the number of working days, there was a year-on-year monthly growth of 4.9%”, indicated REN.
According to the company, “in the first seven months of the year, consumption grew, compared to the same period of the previous year, 3.5%, or 3.3% with temperature correction and working days”.
In turn, “the hydroelectric regime remains dry, with a productivity index of 0.30 (historical average of 1)”, he indicated, but warning that this value has “little meaning because it is a period of the year in which the inflows are practically nil”.
“The wind regime was also below average, recording 0.88 (historical average of 1), while in photovoltaics it was more favourable with 1.08 (historical average of 1)”.
According to REN, “renewable production supplied 36% of consumption, non-renewable production 35%, while the remaining 29% corresponded to imported energy”.