The danger of forest fires will decrease this Saturday in a good part of the west and the center of the Peninsula, after several days marked by very high temperatures and conditions especially favorable for the spread of fire.
The State Meteorological Agency, Aemet, attributes this improvement to the widespread decrease in temperatures and to a somewhat more favorable meteorological scenario.
The drop in heat may help reduce the tension on the territory and facilitate the work of the firefighting teams in the areas affected by active fires.
The risk remains very high in many areas
The improvement does not eliminate the danger.
Aemet warns that the risk of fires will continue at very high levels in large areas of the country and will reach extreme values in points of the northeast and the eastern third.
For this reason, the agency urges to take extreme precautions and avoid any behavior that could provoke a fire, especially in forested, agricultural areas, or near dry vegetation.
With wind, low humidity, and accumulated plant fuel, a fire can start and spread quickly even if the temperatures are lower than on previous days.
Only seven provinces will remain on heat alert
The thermal drop will be one of the keys of the day.
According to Aemet, temperatures will drop this Saturday in a widespread and pronounced manner in Spain. As a consequence, only seven provinces will continue to be at risk from heat.
The drop will be especially notable in the interior of the eastern half of the peninsula, where the maximums may decrease significantly and even locally extraordinarily.
In Canary Islands, the drops will be lighter.
More than 35 degrees in the Mediterranean and Balearic Islands
Despite the thermal relief in a good part of the country, temperatures will still exceed 35 degrees on the Mediterranean coasts and in Balearic Islands.
The maximums could also rise in some points of the Mediterranean coast and in the Rías Baixas, which are left out of the general drop.
Tropical nights, with high minimum temperatures, will be mainly restricted to the Mediterranean environment and the valley of the Guadalquivir.
Precaution even if temperatures drop
The drop in heat may give a sense of relief, but authorities insist that the risk does not disappear.
Vegetation remains dry in many areas after several days of high temperatures. Additionally, any change in wind can complicate the evolution of an already active fire or facilitate the emergence of new hotspots.
Aemet reminds that the danger of fires does not depend only on temperature. Humidity, wind, the state of vegetation, and the accumulation of fuel on the ground also influence it.
Basic recommendations
On a still delicate day, the main recommendation is not to carry out burns, not to throw cigarette butts, not to use machinery that may generate sparks in risk areas, and to avoid driving or parking on dry vegetation.
It is also advisable to consult official warnings before traveling to forest areas and to heed the indications of Protección Civil, 112, DGT, municipalities, and autonomous communities.
This Saturday there will be less heat in a good part of Spain, but the country will remain on alert: the risk decreases in some areas, but does not disappear.