A heatwave episode projected to occur between today and Wednesday in mainland Portugal is expected to be considerably severe due to its duration and forecast maximum temperatures, ranging from 36 to 44 degrees Celsius, warned the Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere.
In a statement released today, the Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) notes that the heatwave episode is expected to continue “through August 6, with a high degree of confidence,” although there may be a temporary slight decline in maximum temperatures on Friday along the west coast and potentially on Tuesday.
Therefore, the IPMA indicates, “maximum temperature values will be above average, or well above average, for this time of year”, making it “highly likely” that a heatwave will effectively be recorded across much of the mainland, particularly in the interior.
“This heatwave episode is expected to be considerably severe, both in terms of duration and the high maximum temperatures”, the IPMA warns, indicating that starting Sunday, maximums will range between 36 and 44 degrees Celsius, except in some coastal areas where they will be lower.
In the interior of Alentejo, the Tagus Valley, and the inner part of the Douro Valley, maximum temperatures are expected to reach values between 41 and 44 degrees Celsius.
Moreover, the IPMA adds, “tropical nights” are anticipated throughout most of the territory, with minimum temperatures varying approximately between 20 and 25 degrees Celsius starting Monday.
Due to the forecasts, the IPMA has already placed all mainland districts, except Faro, under an orange alert between 9:00 am and 6:00 pm on Sunday due to the “persistence of very high maximum temperature values.”
Until Sunday morning, the 17 districts – Bragança, Viseu, Évora, Porto, Guarda, Vila Real, Setúbal, Santarém, Viana do Castelo, Lisbon, Leiria, Beja, Castelo Branco, Aveiro, Coimbra, Portalegre, and Braga – will be under a yellow alert also due to high maximum temperature values.
The Faro district will be under a yellow alert between 9:00 am Saturday and 6:00 pm Sunday, also due to the persistence of high maximum temperatures.
The orange alert, the second most severe on a scale of three, is issued by the IPMA whenever there is a “meteorological situation of moderate to high risk,” while the yellow alert, the least severe, is issued when there is a risk situation for certain activities dependent on the meteorological conditions.
According to the IPMA, this heatwave episode is related to “the combined action of an anticyclone located northeast of the Azores archipelago, extending to the Bay of Biscay, and a depression trough reaching from North Africa to the Iberian Peninsula, which in its circulation transports tropical air masses, very hot and dry, originating from North Africa.”
