A heatwave was recorded from June 15 to 20 at 12 weather stations out of a total of 90, according to the summary of the climatological bulletin from the Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA).
The second heatwave began on June 27 and continued into the early days of July. By Wednesday, approximately 59% of the stations were experiencing a heatwave.
On Sunday, a new record for the highest temperature in June in mainland Portugal was set in Mora, Évora, with the meteorological station recording 46.6 degrees Celsius (°C).
The IPMA states that a heatwave occurs “when, over at least six consecutive days, the daily maximum temperature exceeds the daily average by 5°C based on the reference period.”
The organization notes that June is the summer month with the most frequent occurrences of heatwaves in mainland Portugal.
In the climatological bulletin, a preliminary document with some indicators, the IPMA reports that June was “classified as very warm and very dry.”
According to the institute, it was the third hottest June since 1931, with an average air temperature 2.14°C above normal.
The average maximum and minimum air temperatures were also above normal, by 2.87°C and 1.40°C, respectively.
It was also the fourth driest June in the last 94 years, with total precipitation below normal at around 20% of the average, and weak meteorological drought recorded in the northwest region and the eastern Algarve.
During the heat alert period that began last Saturday, 69 excess deaths were recorded, mainly among individuals aged 85 or older, according to preliminary data from the Directorate-General for Health.
