The heat is on, and it’s settling in for the long haul. The Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) has confirmed this extended period of intense heat. A yellow warning, signaling hot weather, now stretches across thirteen districts on the mainland until 6 PM on Tuesday. For the district of Faro, however, there’s a slight reprieve; their current warning lifts at 9 PM Monday.
For many areas, this isn’t new news. Districts like Beja, Braga, Bragança, Castelo Branco, Évora, Guarda, Portalegre, Porto, Santarém, Setúbal, Viana do Castelo, Vila Real, and Viseu are already under this yellow alert. They’ll remain under the heat warning right through to the end of Tuesday.
In the northern districts of Braga, Porto, and Viana do Castelo, the IPMA points to unusually high maximum temperatures. They stress that the heat will be particularly strong in the inland parts of these areas.
Coimbra is set to join the heat wave soon. This central district will be under a yellow warning for hot weather starting at 9 AM Monday, lasting until 5 PM on Tuesday. The IPMA noted that the high temperatures will first settle in the interior before spreading across the entire district by Tuesday. Further south, Aveiro, Lisbon, and Leiria will also face an alert, but for a shorter period. Their yellow warning runs from 9 AM to 6 PM on Tuesday only.
This yellow warning isn’t just a number. It means there’s a potential risk for activities linked to weather conditions. Think outdoor sports, work, or just daily life. The IPMA expects hot weather for the mainland in the coming days. Temperatures will be much higher than what’s typical for this time of year.
So, what’s causing this relentless heat? The IPMA explains it’s a big high-pressure system, an anticyclone, strengthening over the Azores. This system is sending out a ‘ridge’ – think of it like an invisible arm of high pressure – reaching all the way to the Bay of Biscay. This acts like a conveyor belt, pulling a warm, dry air mass from the continent right over the Iberian Peninsula.
Across much of the mainland, top temperatures are expected to soar past 30 degrees Celsius. Some regions, notably Alentejo, the Tejo Valley, and the Douro Valley, could even see the mercury hit around 40 degrees. That’s truly blazing.
There’s one small pocket of relief: parts of the western coast. Thanks to the sea breeze, which will be moderate at times, especially in the afternoons, temperatures might stay below 30 degrees there.
Even after the sun sets, the heat won’t fully vanish. Overnight temperatures are also set to remain high, not dipping below 20 degrees Celsius in several areas. This includes the south, the Tejo Valley, and the Beira Baixa region. Getting a cool night’s rest might be a challenge.