February was the hottest month since 1931, in mainland Portugal, but it was also a rainy month, which made it possible to alleviate the drought situation, mainly in the Eastern Algarve, which in January had a Moderate Drought index, according to the most recent Monthly Climatological Bulletin from the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA), released today.
According to this document, the Moderate Drought situation is now residual, having decreased from 2% to 0,2% of the territory, more precisely a small area of the municipality of Vila Real de Santo António, next to the Guadiana.
Even so, the entire Algarve region and almost the entire municipality of Beja – 14% of the Continental territory – remain in a Low Drought situation.
At a national level, «the month of February 2024 was extremely hot in relation to air temperature and rainy in relation to precipitation. It was the hottest February since 1931 [it was also the “hottest February ever recorded globally”]. The average value of the average air temperature, 12.47 degrees centigrade (°C), was 2.55 °C higher than the normal value 1981-2010«.
«The average value of the maximum air temperature, 17.14 °C, with an anomaly of +2.61 °C, was the 3rd highest since 1931 (highest in 2020). The average value of the minimum air temperature, 7.79 °C, was 2.48 °C higher than normal, being the 5th highest since 1931 (highest in 1985)».
«During the month, air temperature values are almost always higher than the monthly average value, highlighting the consecutive period from 12 to 22 at maximum temperature and from 5 to 26 at minimum temperature; the highest minimum air temperature values were exceeded or equaled in around 60% of the continent's meteorological stations», reveals IPMA.
In relation to precipitation, “a total of 103.9 millimeters (mm) was recorded, which corresponds to 132% of the average value for 1981-2010. During the month, rainfall was recorded in the periods from the 7th to the 15th and the 22nd to the 26th of February, with emphasis on the 8th and 9th with sometimes heavy precipitation, especially in the regions of the North and Central coast».
Still with regard to rainfall, «in some places in the Algarve percentage values lower than 75% in relation to the average were recorded».
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