WAR PLANES RESTRIIONS

US aircraft can use the Azores landing bases on condition they do  bomb civilian  to the use of the Azores air base by US war planes provided they they do not target infrastructures in the Middle East war.

 

Reuters are reporting that 76 US aircraft have landed at the Lajes Field air base in the Azores and 25 overflies of the territory have occurred since the start of the US-Israeli war against Iran.

 

Before the current pause in the wat, President Trump threatened to devastate 

 

Portugal’s Foreign Minister has told a parliamentary hearing that the United States had complied with the conditions, but said that several times Azores landings had been refused. 

AIR QUALITY WARNING

 

The quality of the air over mainland Portugal is expected to remain poor and place the elderly and children at risk until Thursday thus week.

 

The air is being polluted by dust from the Sahara Desert in northern Africa.  The warning came from Portugal’s national health authority today, Tuesday, urging the elderly and children to take care.

 

Sahara dust particles can trigger inflammatory responses in the raspatory system leading to acute and chronic respiratory conditions.

 

The yellow dust from the Sahara, the largest hot desert in the world, can be smelt by many people especially in the Algarve.

 

 

 

 

The quality of the air over mainland Portugal is expected to remain poor and place the elderly and children at risk until Thursday thus week.

 

The air is being polluted by dust from the Sahara Desert in northern Africa.  The warning came from Portugal’s national health authority today, Tuesday, urging the elderly and children to take care.

 

Sahara dust particles can trigger inflammatory responses in the raspatory system leading to acute and chronic respiratory conditions.

 

The yellow dust from the Sahara, the largest hot desert in the world, can be smelt by many people especially in the Algarve.

 

 

 

BEWARE - FIMES COMING AGAIN

 

Forest fires in Portugal are yet again a severel threat that is getting ready to burn more than 1% of the national territory, the highest rate in the EU.

 

Aggravated by climate change, droughts, strong winds and rural abandonment these fires devastate thousands of hectares resulting in human tragedies, loss of biodiversity, and high economic costs. 

 

Climate Change, extreme heat waves and prolonged droughts create ideal conditions for the risk of wildfires, as does the expansion of highly flammable plants such as eucalyptus, along with rural abandonment.

 

Most of the fires are of human origin, whether due to negligence or arson. Strong winds and steep terrain often make firefighting difficult.

The year 2025 recorded one of the worst fire seasons, with 43% of the total burned area in the EU concentrated in Portugal and Spain.

 

The loss of human lives and the destruction of homes and infrastructure are recurring consequences.

Protected Areas: National parks, such as Serra da Estrela and Gerês, are frequently affected, threatening the habitats of protected plant and animal species. 

PORTUGAL’S ENETGY CRISIS

 

This Tuesday afternoon Portugal’s President and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces António José Seguro will chair a meeting of the Superior Council of National Defence to discuss an impending energy crisis in this country.

The Superior Council of National Defence is a specific collegial body that acts in an advisory capacity on matters relating to national defence and the organisation, functioning and discipline of the Armed Forces.  This body comprises the Prime Minister, the Ministers of State and of National Defence, Foreign Affairs, Internal Administration, Finance, and those responsible for the sectors of industry, energy, transport and communications, the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, and the Chiefs of the Navy, Army and Air Force.

The Superior Council of National Defence also includes representatives of the Republic and the presidents of the governments of the autonomous regions of the Azores and Madeira, the chair of the National Defence Committee of the Assembly of the Republic, and two further members of parliament elected to this body by a two-thirds majority.

The president’s announcement came just as energy minister Maria da Graça Carvalho confirmed that Portugal is closing in on the moment at which it will have to declare an energy crisis for which specific measures have just been decided.

It also came after Minister for Foreign Affairs Paulo Rangel reiterated in Brussels that Portugal will not be participating in the conflict in the Middle East – neither militarily nor in the recent capacity suggested by President Trump of “securing the Strait of Hormuz” for the passage of oil tankers. This is a position shared by other NATO members, particularly France, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy and Spain.

In the United States, President Trump has reacted harshly to the stance by NATO members not to rally to his call for “a very small endeavour to protect the strait.

WILDFIRE RISKS WORSEN

 

 

Storm damage over the winter months has increased fears of devastating wildfires this summer.

 

The relevant authorities in Portugal, Spain and France have come up with a plan to closely share wildfire information.

 

The storms in January created a dangerous growth of ground vegetation and a blockage of hundreds of kilometres of forest paths, especially in the central region of Portugal.

 

Experts in Portugal, Spain and France have just announced the development of computer app to monitor real-time any local and regional spread of wildfires.

Even though this is still not the beginning of April,  100 firefighters are battling a blaze in the Peneda  Geres National Park in northern Portugal.