Portugal swelters under yellow heat warning as May heatwave grips Europe, temperatures to near 39°C
Almost all of mainland Portugal is under a yellow weather warning for extreme heat, with maximum temperatures forecast to reach 38-39°C in some regions and tropical nights expected.
Heatwave conditions intensify
Mainland Portugal is in the grip of a heatwave, with the Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) issuing yellow weather warnings for the persistence of high maximum temperatures. The warnings will take effect at 09:00 on Tuesday, 26 May, for the districts of Évora, Setúbal, Santarém, Lisboa, Leiria, Beja, and Portalegre. The remaining districts of mainland Portugal, with the exception of Faro, will come under the same warning from 09:00 on Wednesday, 27 May. The alert is scheduled to remain in place until 18:00 on Thursday, 28 May.
For today, we are expecting a rise in temperature, especially the maximum, which could reach 38/39 degrees in areas of the Alentejo, the Tagus Valley, and the interior.
Meteorologist Alexandra Fonseca of the IPMA stated that Monday marked the sixth consecutive day with temperatures above the seasonal average, confirming that a heatwave is now affecting practically the entire territory. She noted that while the situation is not normal for this time of year, it is not unprecedented.
Regional impacts and fire risk
Temperatures on the west coast are expected to rise by 6 to 7 degrees compared to Monday, while the rest of the territory will see increases of 1 to 2 degrees. Minimum temperatures will also remain high, with tropical nights above 20 degrees forecast, particularly in the interior, the Alentejo, and the Algarve. The IPMA has also warned of very high to extreme fire danger across several regions in the coming days.
- Yellow warning starts for Évora, Setúbal, Santarém, Lisboa, Leiria, Beja, and Portalegre
- Yellow warning extends to remaining mainland districts except Faro
- Possible showers, thunder, and hail in northern and central interior
- Yellow warning expires; temperatures expected to begin gradual decline
In addition to the heat, suspended dust particles are expected in the atmosphere from Tuesday, though the episode is not predicted to be as intense as the one experienced the previous week. A change is forecast for Wednesday afternoon, when showers accompanied by thunder and hail are possible in the northern and central interior.
A European phenomenon
Portugal is not alone in facing unseasonably high temperatures. A heatwave is affecting much of Europe, with record temperatures for May and official alerts issued in countries including Spain, France, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Austria, and the Czech Republic. Authorities across the continent are taking extreme precautions to prevent wildfires.
We are already in a heatwave in practically the entire territory. It is not a very normal situation, but it is not unprecedented.
Outlook for the coming days
While forecast models indicate a downward trend in temperatures for Thursday and Friday, the heat is expected to persist. Meteorologists anticipate that temperatures will remain elevated, ranging between 30 and 35 degrees. The exact magnitude of the drop later in the week remains uncertain.
