Between today and Friday, mainland Portugal will record temperatures “slightly below normal for the time of year”, which could reach -5°C in the northern and central interior, said the Portuguese Sea and Atmosphere Institute (IPMA).
In a statement, the institute explained that mainland Portugal has been influenced by a mass of polar air, which has resulted in temperatures slightly lower than normal for the time of year.
After an interruption between January 9 and 10, on January 11 and 12 the temperature “will drop again, especially the minimum temperature, due to the incursion of a new mass of polar air from the continent,” he said.
According to the IPMA, this new mass of polar air will gradually affect the north of the Iberian Peninsula and then the southern regions, although with little impact.
Between 00:00 today and 23:00 on Friday, the districts of Bragança and Guarda are under a yellow alert due to cold weather, the IPMA has announced.
At dawn today, minimum temperatures of less than 5°C are expected in inland regions, and less than 0°C in the north-east of Trás-os-Montes and in mountainous areas of the north and center.
“The progressive influence of this air mass will be noticeable with a marked cooling towards the end of the 11th, with the early hours of the 12th being the coldest of this episode,” the institute pointed out.
For Friday, minimum temperatures of between -5 and -0°C are expected in most of the northern and central interior, with “locally lower values” being recorded.
Most of the country will have lows below 5°C, except for a few places on the central and southern coasts.
The IPMA also stressed that “the formation of ice or frost is expected, especially in the northern and central interior, which could have a significant impact on road traffic”.
The maximum temperature is also expected to be lower between today and Friday, with the IPMA pointing out that the northern and central interior should see values varying between 3 and 8°C, being lower than 3°C in some places in the north-east of Trás-os-Montes and Beira Alta, namely at the highest points.
Also today, “there is still the possibility of scattered showers in the mountains of the far north, which if they occur should be snow in the mountains,” he explained.