This was the month of October «the hottest of the last 87 years (since 1931)», in mainland Portugal, «with the average value of the average air temperature around 3°C above the normal value», the Portuguese Institute has just announced of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA).
It was an “extremely dry and exceptionally hot” month, he adds.
The average value of the maximum air temperature was the highest since 1931, about 5°C above the normal value. Also the mean value of the minimum air temperature was higher than normal by about 1°C.
The IPMA highlights the occurrence of "new maximums (records) of maximum and minimum temperature for the month of October, with special emphasis on the 15th (the hottest of the month)".
In much of the territory, hot days (maximum temperature ≥ 30 °C), very hot (maximum temperature ≥ 35 °C) and tropical nights (minimum temperature ≥ 20 °C) were recorded in the period from 1 to 15 October. From the 24th to the 29th of October, there were hot days (maximum temperature ≥ 30 °C).
There were also two heat waves, from the 1st to the 16th and from the 23rd to the 30th of October, which covered a large part of the continent's territory, with the exception of the coastal regions.
The first heat wave had a maximum duration of 15/16 days and is among the longest for the month of October.
Regarding rainfall, this month was classified as “extremely dry”, with an average rainfall in mainland Portugal that corresponds to 30% of the normal value. This month was even "the driest in 20 years", adds the IPMA.
"The combination of the persistence of much lower than normal precipitation values and much higher than normal temperature values, in particular of the maximum temperature, resulted in the occurrence of high values of evapotranspiration and significant values of soil moisture deficit".
Therefore, according to the meteorological drought index – PDSI, at the end of October, the entire territory of mainland Portugal is in a situation of severe (24.8%) and extreme (75.2%) drought.
IPMA adds that, "in previous drought situations, there was, in the beginning of autumn, a significant reduction in severity (severe and extreme classes)". This time, on the contrary, "there was, in the same period, an aggravation of the most severe classes".
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