The churches of Matosinhos will be open from 11:00 to 18:00 as a way to welcome the population during the heatwave that continental Portugal is experiencing until Sunday, announced today by the city council.
In a statement, the Matosinhos City Council said it had activated a set of preventive measures aimed at protecting the population, with special attention to the most vulnerable groups.
Among the preventive measures is the opening of churches, between 11:00 and 18:00, as well as the municipality’s shopping centers and libraries providing shelter to the population seeking better thermal conditions, adds.
“Municipal technicians have already reinforced monitoring of the most vulnerable population, namely isolated elderly people, people with disabilities and homeless people,” it says, adding that “telephone contact and follow-up of users flagged through the municipal tele-assistance service have also been carried out, making them aware of self-protection measures and the need to maintain adequate hydration.”
According to the Porto district municipality led by socialist Luísa Salgueiro, the city is in permanent contact with nursing homes, IPSS and other social support institutions, to learn about their respective cooling and thermal comfort conditions.
“Proximity actions by the Municipal Police towards vulnerable groups have also been strengthened, through the teams already assigned to the monitoring and proximity security programs,” she adds.
Regarding the homeless population, “the municipal teams also distributed water and carried out awareness-raising actions.”
“The municipality will continue to monitor the evolution of the weather situation continuously and will adopt all measures deemed necessary to safeguard the population,” she assures.
The red alert due to the heat was extended to Sunday in 10 districts of the coast and southern interior of the country, announced today the Portuguese Institute for the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA).
According to IPMA, the red alert, the most severe on a scale of three, is currently active in the districts of Portalegre, Évora and Beja, as well as Santarém and Lisbon, with the latter two districts becoming orange (the second level) at 23:00 on Friday.
On Friday, another 10 districts will also be under red alert due to the heat: Viana do Castelo, Porto, Braga, Coimbra, Aveiro, Leiria, Santarém, Portalegre, Évora and Beja. In all cases this level remains active until 06:00 on Sunday.
The red alert arises at a time when continental Portugal is experiencing a period of high temperatures, with highs that can reach 44 degrees Celsius (°C) and lows between 24°C and 28°C.
On Wednesday, the Directorate-General of Health (DGS) issued recommendations to municipalities to protect populations from high temperatures and heat waves, citing the “essential proximity role” they play in preparing for and responding to these phenomena.
According to the DGS, municipalities should ensure, in partnership with various entities, the signaling of more vulnerable people, keeping this list up to date, as well as carrying out preventive contacts and promoting, whenever possible, home visits.
At the level of community measures, the directorate-general advises opening temporary shelter locations (cooling zones) and providing potable water, ensuring the proper operation of public fountains, as well as recommending the extension of hours for libraries, pools, and nearby climate-controlled facilities.
For public spaces, it is suggested to strengthen shaded areas, install temporary shading and cooling structures, and adapt the schedules of outdoor municipal work.
Because of the heat wave, hospitals activated the lowest level of contingency plans.
