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Portugal hit by "extreme" drought

Xinhua, August 7, 2015 Adjust font size:

Almost 80 percent of the Portuguese territory is experiencing "severe" or "extreme" drought, figures revealed on Thursday by the Portuguese Sea and Atmosphere Institute (IPMA) showed.

The IPMA said in July temperatures reached an average of 23.2 degrees Celsius. The average daily rainfall in July was 3.5 mm, much less than the average 13.8 mm.

The institute also warns that the current weather conditions are favorable for forest fires. The number of forest fires almost doubled this year compared to 2014, according to recent statistics, with around 10,695 forest fires taking place across the country.

The percentage of drought is expected to rise, the IPMA also said. Endit