Portugal set a new record temperature for June, reaching 46.6° Celsius on Sunday in Mora, about 100 kilometers east of Lisbon, according to data released today by the national meteorological service.

The previous record, 44.9° Celsius, was recorded on June 17, 2017, in Alcasser do Sal, in the southwestern part of the country, the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) recalled. According to the institute, 37% of weather stations recorded temperatures above 40° Celsius on Sunday.

The country, hit by a strong heat wave sweeping across Europe, experienced very high temperatures over the weekend, with many stations recording temperatures that exceeded previous historical records.

Many areas, including Lisbon, were put on red alert on Sunday and Monday due to the heatwave.

However, today the country began to catch its breath.

The temperature recorded a drop; however, eight districts remain on orange alert due to increased risk of forest fires, especially in forested areas of the centre and north.

As of midday Tuesday, authorities had not reported any large active fire fronts.