Last October was the hottest ever recorded on the Globe, with a global average temperature of 15.30°C, 0.85°C above the 1991-2020 average value. announced the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere. The month is estimated to have been about 1.7°C warmer than the pre-industrial average of 1850-1900.
In Europe, October 2023 was the 4th hottest on record, with a deviation from the 1991-2020 average value of +1.30°C.
Europe's southern and central latitudes were much warmer in October 2023 than the 1991-2020 climatological average.
According to IPMA, several countries recorded record air temperature values at the beginning of last month. Average temperatures were the highest ever recorded in Italy, parts of the Balkans and the central Mediterranean Sea. Switzerland recorded the second hottest October since records began in 1864, only surpassed by October 2022.
On the other hand, in Iceland, Norway and countries around the Baltic Sea, temperatures were below the 1991-2020 average. In Norway, it was the coldest October since 2009 and the 26th coldest October since 1900.
In terms of precipitation, it was higher than average in most of Europe: Storm Babet hit northern Europe and Storm Aline hit Portugal and Spain, bringing heavy rainfall and flooding.
On the other hand, drier than average conditions were observed in Iceland and most of Scandinavia, in regions of western Russia and parts of southern Europe.
In mainland Portugal, the month of October 2023 was “extremely hot and very rainy”, highlights the IPMA.
The average value of the average air temperature was 18.96 °C, it was much higher than the normal 1981-2010, with an anomaly of +2.42 °C, being the 2nd highest value since 1931 (highest in 2017, 19.57 °C) .
The average value of the maximum air temperature, 24.06 °C, was higher than the normal value, with an anomaly of + 2.55 °C, being the 10th highest value since 1931 and the 4th since 2000; the average value of the minimum air temperature, 13.86 °C, was also higher than normal with an anomaly, of +2.29 °C, being the 2nd highest value since 1931.
IPMA explains that, «during the month, there were two distinct periods: the first half of the month was characterized by very high air temperature values, while the second half of the month temperature values were generally lower than the average value monthly".
In the hot period, new extreme values of maximum temperature were recorded in 26% of meteorological stations and minimum temperature in 18% of stations; There was also a heat wave that covered almost the entire territory of the continent.
Regarding precipitation, October 2023 was the 4th wettest since 1931, with a total of 219.3 mm, which corresponds to approximately 2 times the average value from 1981-2010.
Precipitation occurred from the 13th until the end of the month, due to the successive passage of several frontal waves that caused heavy and persistent rain.
At the end of the month, there was a significant decrease in the area and intensity of the meteorological drought across the continent.
However, highlights the IPMA, some places in Alentejo and Algarve are still in meteorological drought.
In fact, on October 31, 13% of the territory was in a mild meteorological drought.
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