A cold drop approaches Portugal and will bring with it periods of intense rain, which are expected to affect the Algarve and several other regions of the country. The occurrence of hail and thunderstorms is also expected, phenomena that could worsen the meteorological situation and cause some inconvenience. The most potentially affected districts include Faro, Beja and Setúbal, with special attention paid to areas most vulnerable to flooding. Meteorological authorities have identified the most critical period of this depression, during which additional precautions are recommended to minimize risks and avoid unnecessary travel. Find out more now with the collaboration of , a specialist at .
“This Tuesday, November 12th, anticyclonic weather was maintained, with clear or partially cloudy skies. However, the first sign of the weather change announced by Meteored several days ago has already manifested itself today: a widespread drop in temperatures was recorded, more pronounced in the interior regions thanks to the approach of continental polar air coming from the northeast. The strong anticyclonic blockade that persists to the west of mainland Portugal, on the Atlantic coast of Europe, was responsible for favoring the release of the aforementioned cold air (continental polar) over our country and Spain and bringing about the cooling of the weather”, begins by explaining the specialist.
For this “Wednesday (13), it will be the first day of an episode of rain, sometimes intense, caused by the arrival of a cold drop which, from Thursday (14), will evolve into an isolated cold depression (DFI) and will be located in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula – first in the Gulf of Cádiz and later off the coast of São Vicente (southwest of mainland Portugal). From there, it will move slightly westward.”
In addition to causing a drop in temperatures, due to the continental polar air mass, this isolated depression at altitude (initially a cold drop, then an isolated cold depression) will bring intense precipitation, sometimes accompanied by thunderstorms and, occasionally, hail or snow, affecting different regions of the country.
These will be the first effects of the cold drop in Portugal
Alfredo Graça explains that this Wednesday (13) will be the coldest day of the week, due to the drop in maximum temperatures caused by the presence of polar air at altitude, associated with a depression that will pass through mainland Portugal tomorrow. The sky will be very cloudy, with periods of good openings on the west coast and in the south of the state.
From the beginning of the afternoon, precipitation is expected, probably in the form of showers, more frequent and intense in the North and Center interior, especially in the districts of Vila Real, Viseu, Bragança and Guarda. There is also the possibility of light and scattered precipitation in other areas, which may be accompanied by occasional thunderstorms.
The latest updates to our confidence model have reduced the likelihood of snow. According to the most recent forecast, snowfall may only occur on the afternoon/evening of Wednesday (13), and will be so residual that it will be difficult to accumulate, confining itself to the highest points of Serra da Estrela. The wind will generally be weak to moderate from the northeast, but stronger in high areas, with gusts of up to 75 km/h in the North and Center, and frost is expected to form in sheltered areas of the North and Center interior.
On Thursday, November 14, the cold drop is expected to transform into an isolated cold depression, as as it moves west, between the Gulf of Cádiz and Cabo de São Vicente, it will generate a low with a reflection on the surface.
The sky will remain very cloudy and, given the likely trajectory of the depression, showers will be more frequent and intense in the Center and South regions, with emphasis on the districts of Faro, Évora, Beja, Setúbal, Santarém, Portalegre, Castelo Branco and Leiria. There will again be a risk of storms in these areas.
The wind will remain predominantly from the east. As the depression moves westward, positioning itself southwest of mainland Portugal, milder air from southern latitudes will be transported to the country, causing a rise in temperatures, especially in the North and Center regions.
Friday and Saturday will be the most critical days of the isolated cold depression in the Algarve and other areas
Due to the stationary nature of the isolated cold depression, the showers should be concentrated with greater intensity and frequency in the same regions on Friday (15) and Saturday, November 16, explains the Meteored Portugal expert.
For Friday (15), Meteored’s reference maps indicate that the districts of Faro, Beja, Évora, Setúbal, Lisbon, Portalegre, Castelo Branco and Guarda will be the most affected by precipitation, which may, occasionally, be accompanied by hail and thunder.
The Meteored map predicts for Friday, at 11am, an 85% probability of rain in the Barlavento Algarvio.
It may rain in other areas of the country, but with less intensity, probability and volume. Still on Friday (15), the wind should continue to blow from the east, with temperatures expected to rise again, especially the minimum temperatures.
Friday (15) and Saturday morning (16) will be the periods of greatest atmospheric instability in mainland Portugal, according to the current forecast of our reliable model.
On Saturday, November 16, the influence of the isolated depression aloft should decrease somewhat, especially from the afternoon onwards. However, until noon on Saturday (16), showers, sometimes accompanied by hail, will be more likely and frequent in the Algarve (particularly in Barlavento), as well as on the west coast and the Alentejo coast (Lisbon districts). , Setúbal and Beja).
In the early hours of Saturday (16), there is also a forecast of rain in the Central and Northern regions, but with less intensity and frequency than in other regions. It will be another day of wind blowing from the east, marked by a new rise in minimum temperatures on the coast.
Finally, Alfredo Graça states that on Sunday (17), atmospheric instability should gradually decrease, due to the decreasing influence of the depression, which will be progressively absorbed by the jet stream. Even so, light and scattered showers are expected, more likely in the Algarve and in some parts of the central interior.
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