José Coelho / Lusa
July will start with strong heat and harder nights to bear. Europe has broken heat records in recent days: Germany reached 41.5ºC and Denmark reached an all-time high.
Mainland Portugal will enter a week of intense heat, with a sharp rise in temperatures from Wednesday, tropical nights in much of the territory and maximum temperatures that can reach 42ºC at the end of the week, especially in Ribatejo and in the interior of Alentejo.
After a few days of more contained temperatures, the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) predicts a significant change in the weather between June 29 and July 5, with the likely installation of a new heat wave on the mainland.
The highest values should occur from July 3rd, with maximums between 40ºC and 42ºC in the Ribatejo regions and the interior of Sergipe. Also according to the IPMA forecast, values equal to or greater than 35ºC may also be observed in areas close to the west coast and in the Douro valley.
The rise in temperatures should be felt gradually, but more markedly from Wednesday, July 1st. The nights will also get warmer: what is predicted minimum temperatures above 20ºC in much of the countryincluding in some points close to the western coastal strip. These nights, usually referred to as tropical nightsworsen thermal discomfort by making it difficult for the body to recover during the night.
For now, IPMA maintains yellow warnings for hot weather in seven districts from the mainland: Beja, Castelo Branco, Évora, Guarda and Portalegre between 09:00 on June 29th and 06:00 on July 1st; Bragança and Vila Real between 09:00 on June 30th and 06:00 on July 1st. The yellow warning is issued when there is a risk to certain activities dependent on the weather situation.
If the persistence of heat is confirmed, mainland Portugal could once again experience heat wave in climatological terms. According to the definition used by IPMA, this phenomenon occurs when, for at least six consecutive daysthe maximum daily temperature is more than 5ºC above the average daily reference value.
Health authorities recommend extra careon the hottest days: drink water even if you are not thirsty, avoid alcohol, seek cool environments, avoid sun exposure between 11:00 and 17:00 and pay special attention to children, the elderly, pregnant women, chronically ill people and isolated people.
The forecast can still be adjusted in the coming days, but the signal is clear: July will start with intense heat and nights that are more difficult to bear.
Europe breaks heat records
The heat wave that is crossing Europe broke records again this Saturday, June 27th, with historic highs in Germany, Denmark and Czechiaunprecedented values in several French cities and new June extremes in Switzerlandin a wave that is moving east after days of extreme heat in western Europe, notes a .
A highest brand was registered in Germanywhere the Möckern-Drewitz station in Saxony-Anhalt reached 41,5ºCaccording to preliminary data from Deutscher Wetterdienst, the German meteorological service, cited by . The value exceeds the national maximum registered just one day beforewhen Saarbrücken-Burbach, near the French border, reached 41.3ºC.
Also the Denmark recorded the hottest day since measurements began in 1874. The Danish Meteorological Institute 37.0ºC in two seasonsØdum, north of Aarhus, and Beldringe, north of Odense. The previous national record was 36.4ºC, recorded in August 1975.
Already Chequiameteorological authorities measured a new absolute maximum in Doksany, north of Prague. Reuters, citing the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute, pointed to 40.9ºCwhile the Associated Press reported 40.8ºC. In both cases, this is a preliminary value, subject to official validation, but above the previous Czech record of 40.4ºC.
In France, the heat moved to the northeastafter the country had already recorded, on June 24th and 25th, the two hottest days since measurements began in terms of the national 24-hour average.
The reported unprecedented provisional values in several locationsincluding 41.7ºC in Vichy41.0ºC in Colmar, 40.4ºC in Nancy and 40.3ºC in Strasbourg. This Saturday Metz exceeded 40ºC for the first time, with 40.5ºC.
In Switzerland, Basel reached 38.8ºCa new national record for June, according to MeteoSwiss. In the United Kingdom, the heat wave had already overturned the national record for June during the week, with a provisional temperature of 37.3ºC in the east of England.
In Italy, 18 citiesincluding Rome, Milan, Venice, Florence and Bologna, were under red alert. In Germany, rail operators recommended avoiding non-essential travel and some roads suffered damage due to the temperatures.
The heat is expected to ease in some regions with the arrival of thunderstorms, but meteorological services maintain warnings in several European countries.
