The winter that has just ended was «extremely hot and dry» in mainland Portugal and the second hottest since 1931, only surpassed by that of 1990, announced the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA).
In terms of the average value of the maximum temperature, the winter of 2019/2020 reached the highest values on record: 15,67 °C, the highest value since 1931, «with an anomaly of +1.92 °C in relation to normal value 1971-2000”, according to the most recent Seasonal Climatological Bulletin of IPMA, for the months of December, January and February.
February 2020 it was, moreover, the hottest since 1931.
The same document reports that the average value of the average air temperature was 11 degrees, with an anomaly of +1.47 °C.
«The average minimum air temperature, 6.33 °C, was also higher than normal, +1.01 °C, being the 3rd highest value since 2000. Minimum air temperature values higher than this winter occurred in about 20% years since 1931,” the institute added.
With regard to precipitation, it was lower than usual, amounting to 78% of the average value.
In all, 275.1 mm of rain fell in mainland Portugal. "Values for the amount of precipitation lower than this winter have occurred in about 40% of the years since 1931," explained the IPMA.
Higher than normal temperatures and less rain than usual – December was very rainy, but January and February were not – aggravated the drought situation, such as the Sul Informação had already realized.
The IPMA also points out that the meteorological drought situation in the regions of Baixo Alentejo and Algarve «was gradually intensifying until the end of February», being now extreme in much of the territory of these two regions.
Winter 2019/2020 in numbers:
– 3rd highest maximum air temperature value in December 2019 (since 1931); some weather stations in the South region exceeded the previous highest values of maximum air temperature for the month of December;
– Persistent and sometimes intense precipitation and strong wind during the month of December due to the passage of storms Daniel (15 to 17), Elsa (18 to 20) and Fabien (21 to 22); at the Guarda meteorological station, the 24-hour precipitation value occurred on the 16th, 141.9 mm (00:00-24:00), corresponds to the absolute daily extreme; at the Pampilhosa da Serra station, the highest gust value was recorded, 150 km/h, on the 19th.
– February 2020 was the hottest since 1931 and the maximum air temperature value was the highest since 1931; the highest values of the maximum air temperature for the month of February were surpassed in about 40% of the meteorological stations of the IPMA network;
– Weather drought in the regions south of the Tagus, with the greatest severity and persistence in the Baixo Alentejo and Algarve regions being highlighted. The drought situation intensified throughout the winter and at the end of February, according to the PDSI index, the percentage of territory in the different classes was as follows: 0.8% moderate rain, 9.1% light rain, 37.5% normal, 11.0 % mild drought, 15.1% moderate drought, 19.2% severe drought and 7.3% extreme drought.
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