The month of May 2022 was considered the hottest in mainland Portugal and the 5th hottest at a global level, announced today the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and the Atmosphere.
According to the IPMA, the average global temperature last May was 0.42 °C higher than the average value for 1981-2010, with the 5th May being the warmest, with a value equal to 2018 and 2021.
In mainland Portugal, the month of May was classified as «extremely hot and very dry», underlines the IPMA.
It was even the warmest May of the last 92 years: average temperature, 19.19 °C, much higher than the normal value with an anomaly of + 3.47 °C.
The average maximum air temperature, 25.87 °C, was the highest since 1931, with an anomaly of + 4.91 °C; the average minimum air temperature, 12.52 °C, was much higher than the normal, +2.02 °C, being the 3rd highest since 1931.
During the month, the air temperature values (average, maximum and minimum) were almost always above the monthly average value, with emphasis on the consecutive period of 10 days (5 to 14) with deviations greater than 5 °C from the maximum temperature. in relation to the monthly normal; on days 20, 27 and 28 the mean maximum air temperature on the continent was above 30 °C.
The IPMA highlights the 21st of May, which was «characterized by very high air temperatures, and in 20% of the meteorological stations the maximum value of the air temperature was recorded at night, between 00:00 and 08:00: XNUMX UTC".
The average value of the amount of precipitation in May, 8.9 mm, was much lower than the normal value for 1971-2000, corresponding to only 13 %
Heat and lack of rain led to a worsening of the meteorological drought throughout the territory, «with a very significant increase in the area in severe drought, with 97% of the territory now in this class».
In Europe, the mean temperature value was higher than the 1981-2010 normal, with an anomaly of +0.58 °C.
However, colder than average conditions were experienced across the region comprising extreme eastern Europe and parts of western Asia, where predominantly northwesterly winds were atypical for the month of May.
On the other hand, warmer-than-average conditions occurred in southwestern Europe, which came under the influence of Saharan winds. This region was affected by an early and prolonged heat wave, with many local record highs and lows in Spain, France and Portugal.
The average daily maximum temperature was the highest recorded in 2022, ahead of 2015, 2017 and 2020 (period 1979-2022).
Regarding precipitation in Europe, drier than average conditions were observed in much of Central and Western Europe, particularly in the southwest region, affected by the heat wave.
By contrast, in Eastern Europe, conditions were generally wetter than average.
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