Temperatures this weekend could reach 35°C in mainland Portugal, a spell of hot weather that IPMA, Portugal's meteorological institute, considers unusual for the time of year.
Thermometers are expected to read between 30°C and 35°C across most of the country, with highs of up to 39°C in some inland areas of the Tagus Valley. Minimum temperatures will also rise nationwide, settling at around 20°C.
Over the weekend, the high temperatures will be accompanied by some cloud cover and showers along the coast, with the possibility of heavy rain and hail, together with thunderstorms, in inland areas, especially on Saturday afternoon. Because of the humidity, temperatures in those regions may drop slightly. There will also be suspended dust from North Africa, IPMA adds.
According to IPMA, this weekend's weather conditions are favourable to the transport of dust from North Africa. The suspended dust is expected to linger until the end of the day on Saturday.
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