The period from January to August 2020 was the hottest in the last 90 years (since 1931), as it had already occurred in the first seven months of this year, the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and the Atmosphere (IPMA) has just announced in its most recent Climatological Summary.
According to IPMA data, the 3 hottest January-August periods were then verified this year (average temperature, 16.81 °C, +1.40 °C/normal), in 2017 (average temperature, 16.79 °C, + 1.37 °C /normal) and still in 1997 (average temperature, 16.62 °C, + 1.21 °C/normal).
As for the month of August, the IPMA classifies it as "hot", while the summer remained as "very hot and very dry".
The mean value of the mean air temperature, 22.76 °C, was higher than the 1971-2000 normal (+0.62 °C).
The average value of the maximum air temperature, 30.00 °C, was 1.20 °C higher than normal and the average value of the minimum air temperature, 15.53 °C, was close to the value (+0.03 °C), explains the IPMA.
From the 4th to the 10th of August, there was even a heat wave in some places in the interior North and Center.
In the opposite direction, there were very low values of the minimum air temperature on the 30th and 31st, with the lowest values of the minimum air temperature for this month having been exceeded in about 10% of meteorological stations on the continent.
IPMA adds that the average amount of rainfall in August, 13.9 mm, was very close to the normal value.
However, day 20 stands out, with very high daily precipitation values for the season in the North and Center regions, having exceeded the highest daily precipitation values (00h-24h) in some places in the Northeast region of the territory.
Despite this (little) rain, the situation of moderate drought remains, which is even «severe» in Baixo Alentejo and Algarve.
In the North and Center regions, there was a decrease in the area in mild drought.
As for the summer (climatological summer, which covers the period from 1st June to 31st August), IPMA emphasizes that this is the 13th hottest summer in the last 90 years, with an average air temperature of 22.42 °C ( +1.17 °C in relation to the normal value).
Considering the series since 1931, it appears that 9 of the 15 hottest summers occurred after the year 2000, with 2005 being the hottest (23.43 °C).
The average maximum air temperature value, 29.76 °C was the 6th highest since 2000. The average minimum air temperature value, 15.08 °C, was +0.21 °C higher than normal.
The total amount of precipitation occurred in the months of June to August, 26.7 mm, was lower than normal and corresponds to about 45% of the average value.
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