The cold will continue into New Year’s Eve, but it is only expected to snow again in the highlands from January 2nd. In Madeira, rain is expected during the stroke of twelve.
Mainland Portugal will be affected, until Wednesday, by a mass of polar air that will slightly lower the temperature, but the highs during New Year’s Eve are expected to remain, with clear skies, in most of the territory, according to IPMA.
According to the special end-of-year forecast, released by the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA), in the last days of 2025, the weather will be influenced by an anticyclone south of Iceland, with a “very weak easterly current and the transport of polar air masses over the continent’s territory” being predicted.
On Monday, the minimum temperature is expected to drop between 2° C and 4° C, with a small, more localized gradual decrease expected until the 1st in the North and Center regions, where values are expected to vary between -3 and 1° C. For the coast, minimum temperatures are expected between 4° C and 7° C.
Despite the polar air mass, maximum temperature values are not expected to change significantly, with the exception of regions with persistent fog and low cloudiness (northeast Trás-os-Montes and Beira Alta, until Wednesday).
In the rest of the territory, maximum temperatures should vary between 11° C and 15° C, and could reach 17° C in the Algarve, particularly along the coast.
“On day 1, with the gradual increase in cloud cover from south to north, starting in the afternoon, a small drop in maximum temperature in the Center and South regions is likely”, adds the IPMA.
Rain in Madeira
In the Madeira archipelago, where periods of rain are expected to occur, particularly on the island of Madeira, during New Year’s Eve, 2026 begins with rain that is sometimes heavy and accompanied by thunderstorms, especially on the south side and in the highlands of the island of Madeira, with occasional hail.
On the 30th, the temperature is expected to rise between 2° C and 4° C, but drops slightly on December 31st and January 1st.
The minimum temperatures should vary between 8° C and 14° C, with more heat along the south coast (between 15° C and 17° C) and lower temperatures in the highlands (between 4° C and 7° C), while the maximum temperatures will be between 14° C and 18° C, reaching 21° C on the south coast of the island of Madeira, but without exceeding 13° C in the highlands.
With LUSA
