Year 2017 is proving to be one of Portugal’s hottest years. According to the national sea and atmosphere institute (IPMA), average temperatures in October were the highest they have been in 87 years – in other words, since 1931.
In its monthly bulletin, the institute describes this past October as “extremely dry and exceptionally hot”. It adds that the average temperature was “5ºC higher than normal”.
There were two heat waves – between October 1-16 and October 23-30 – which were felt intensely throughout most of the country, with temperatures often reaching 30ºC or more.
The hottest day was October 15, the horrific date that will be remembered for the devastating wildfires that broke out in central Portugal and killed 45 people.
IPMA also reveals that rainfall in October was also way below average – 30% of the normal amount – making it the driest October of the last 20 years and leaving around a quarter of the country in severe drought (24.8%) and extreme drought (75.2%).
October is not the only month this year to register abnormally high temperatures.
April (click here) and June (click here) were also unusually hot, while the summer of 2017 has been described as the “hottest since 2000” (click here).
