Pontevedra, Spain, July 2, 2026 (Lusa) - Portugal's minister for the environment and energy on Thursday called on the public to “save water” and “use only what is absolutely essential” amid a red heat warning.
Speaking to journalists in Galicia, Spain, where she inaugurated a new electricity interconnector between Portugal and Spain, Maria da Graça Carvalho noted that in some municipalities “water usage is above normal” and called on the public to exercise some restraint.
“It is a question of ensuring that the rivers and reservoirs continue to have adequate water levels. It is within the supply systems themselves because consumption is higher than normal. I would like to get this message across to people: please try, as far as possible, to save water and use only what is absolutely essential for your health and daily life,” said the minister.
Maria da Graça Carvalho also expressed concern, as did “the whole government”, about the wildfires.
The minister also mentioned the possibility of an “overload in electricity consumption”.
“Some European countries that have been experiencing a heatwave have suffered local power cuts due to high electricity consumption. We have a stable grid, and the line that came into operation today will further enhance that stability,” she noted.
Maria da Graça Carvalho said she hoped there would be “no” power cuts, but acknowledged that it was “a possibility”.
“It is natural that an overload caused by the use of air conditioning and high electricity consumption could lead to localised power cuts. We currently have a very resilient grid, but we are not immune to this happening, as has occurred in France and other European countries,” she said.
Portugal's national meteorological institute, IPMA announced on Thursday that the red heat warning will remain in effect until Sunday in 10 districts along the coast and in the southern interior of the country.
According to IPMA, the red alert, the most serious on a three-tier scale, is currently in force in the districts of Portalegre, Évora and Beja, as well as in Santarém and Lisbon, with the latter two districts moving to amber (the second level) at 11 p.m. on Friday.
On Friday, a further 10 districts will also be under a red heat warning: Viana do Castelo, Porto, Braga, Coimbra, Aveiro, Leiria, Santarém, Portalegre, Évora and Beja. In all cases, this level will remain in force until 6 a.m. on Sunday.
The red warning comes at a time when mainland Portugal is experiencing a spell of high temperatures, with maximum temperatures reaching up to 44°C and minimum temperatures between 24°C and 28°C.
On Wednesday, the Directorate-General for Health (DGS) issued recommendations to local authorities to protect the public from high temperatures and heatwaves, highlighting the “essential role” they play in preparing for and responding to such events.
According to the DGS, local authorities should, in partnership with various organisations, ensure that they have identified the most vulnerable people, keep this list up to date, make preventative contact, and, wherever possible, carry out home visits.
At the community level, the Directorate-General advises opening temporary shelters (cooling centres) and making drinking water available, ensuring that public drinking fountains are in good working order, and recommends extending the opening hours of libraries, swimming pools, and local air-conditioned facilities.
For public spaces, authorities suggest expanding shaded areas, installing temporary shading and cooling structures, and adjusting working hours for outdoor municipal works.
Due to the heatwave, hospitals have activated the lowest level of their contingency plans.
ACG/ADB // ADB.
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