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Thermometers above 40ºC, hot nights, and dust? A heatwave is coming.

Image Credit: Notícias ao Minuto

The summer season is set to commence in a week, yet heat will make its presence felt earlier, as mainland Portugal will be under “the influence of a hot and dry air mass” starting from Sunday, June 15.

This warm air mass, as described by the Portuguese Institute of Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA), is “transported in the joint circulation of an anticyclone located south of the British Isles and a trough extending from North Africa to the Iberian Peninsula.”

Experts warn that this meteorological situation is typical for this time of year and, given the transport of hot air from Africa across both Portugal and Spain, temperatures will rise. The increase will be more pronounced in the “interior North and Center on the 15th” and will extend “to the rest of the territory on the 16th and 17th, when a rise in minimum temperature is also expected, likely warranting the issuance of hot weather warnings.”

As a result, nine districts will be under yellow warning from 9:00 am Monday to 6:00 am Tuesday due to the heat. These districts are Vila Real, Bragança, Guarda, Castelo Branco, Santarém, Portalegre, Évora, Beja, and Setúbal.

According to IPMA, maximum temperature values “are expected to exceed 30°C throughout the territory, except in some coastal areas, “possibly surpassing 40°C in Alentejo and the Tagus Valley,” especially on the 17th and 18th, contributing to a possible heatwave.”

Both days are forecasted to be warmer, and nights are likely to follow the trend: minimum temperatures should record values above 20°C from the 16th.

The wind is expected to be light to moderate, “predominating from the east and temporarily shifting to the west in the afternoon along the coastal strip.”

“An increase in atmospheric instability is also highlighted. Therefore, there may be an increase in cloudiness in the interior during the afternoon, with favorable conditions for thunderstorms and scattered showers, more likely on the 17th and 18th,” as stated on the IPMA website, which also warns that this situation “may still facilitate the transport of suspended dust originating from North Africa.”

And for this Saturday?

This Saturday, however, will be a more overcast day nationwide, with maximum temperatures on the mainland reaching “32°C in the Algarve.”

Besides this area, where the maximums are higher, Alentejo is also experiencing high temperatures, with Beja reaching 31°C, Évora at 30°C, and Portalegre falling behind at 27°C.

In coastal areas, clouds will not hinder beach outings, as “maximums in Setúbal are 25°C, with Lisbon district staying at 24°C.”

Meanwhile, in the islands, temperatures can rise above the mainland coast—at least in the Madeira archipelago. Despite the cloudy sky, Funchal is expected to reach 26°C, while Porto Santo reaches 25°C.

In the Azores, Horta will experience the highest temperatures with a maximum of 25°C. Ponta Delgada and Angra do Heroísmo will have maximums of 23°C, and these are the only areas where light rain or drizzle is forecast.

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