The heat wave that struck mainland Portugal on Tuesday, July 16, is expected to persist until at least August 15.
Meteorological forecasts suggest temperatures will continue above the climatological average across most of mainland Portugal. In particular, the Northeast Transmontano and Beira Alta regions could experience temperature anomalies up to 4ºC above normal, especially in the Douro Valley, which is traditionally a hot spot in the country.
The heat is expected to intensify over the coming weeks, with above-average temperatures forecast for almost the entire country.
Rainfall is expected to be scarce, with occasional precipitation likely in coastal areas between Viana do Castelo and Leiria.
For August, forecasts indicate a pattern of positive thermal anomalies in mainland Portugal, the Azores, and Madeira, with the archipelagos experiencing temperature deviations up to 1ºC above average. Mainland Portugal will see regional thermal contrasts, with much of the country experiencing temperatures between 0.5ºC and 1ºC above normal.
The northern region and parts of the central interior may record temperatures between 1ºC and 1.5ºC above average. However, the most pronounced thermal anomaly is expected in the eastern area of the Northeast Transmontano, near the Spanish border, with temperatures 1.5ºC to 2ºC higher than normal.
The only potential exception is expected in Madeira during the week of August 4-11, where certain areas may experience cooler-than-normal conditions. However, the forecast for this period remains uncertain, leading to speculation.
Predictive models suggest no significant anomalies in precipitation for mainland Portugal or Madeira, indicating predominantly dry weather with little rainfall expected.
In the Azores, the western and central groups may receive between 5 and 10 mm more rain than average, though no anomalies are predicted for the eastern islands of São Miguel and Santa Maria.
Meteorologists emphasize that medium- to long-term forecasts should be viewed as trends rather than deterministic predictions typical of 3-5 day forecasts.
