The start of July will bring mainland Portugal a prolonged heatwave, with tropical nights, sending thermometers soaring to 43°C in some regions of the country.
According to the Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA (source in Portuguese)), it is being driven by an anticyclone located to the north/northwest of the Azores archipelago, dragging in a mass of very hot, dry air.
The average temperature is expected to run 3°C to 7°C above normal across mainland Portugal, the IPMA says, highlighting increases of 5°C to 7°C in central regions and the Alentejo.
The 40°C threshold will be exceeded from Wednesday in the Alentejo districts, with the high temperatures then spreading to parts of the remaining regions towards the end of the week, meteorologists warn. In inland Alentejo, daytime highs will remain above 40°C from 1 to at least 7 July.
Over this period, eight districts are expected to reach or exceed 40°C: Braga, Coimbra, Castelo Branco, Santarém, Lisbon, Portalegre, Évora and Beja.
