It’s the “hottest” month since similar meteorological data began to be collected, according to the Portuguese Institute of the Seas and Atmosphere.
The National Meteorological Institute announced, Friday, in its monthly climate bulletin, that Portugal, which was subjected to exceptional drought throughout its territory, experienced “the hottest month of July in the past 92 years.”
The Portuguese Institute of the Seas and Atmospheres (IPMA) said the average maximum temperature was 31.16 degrees, adding that during this period the thermometer reached a historic record high of 47 degrees for the month of July. This temperature was recorded on July 14 at the Pinhao Meteorological Station, in the north of the country.
Drought hits the country
In terms of precipitation, July was “the fourth dry month since 2000,” with the amount of precipitation “barely about 22% of the average,” according to the institute.
It also exacerbated dehydration. At the end of July, 55% of the land was classified as “extreme drought” and 45% as severe drought.
In July, the heat wave that hit Portugal and other countries in Europe caused devastating forest fires. According to scientists, frequent heat waves are an unmistakable sign of global warming due to human activities and these heat waves are expected to multiply, lengthen and intensify.
Portugal experienced an early drought this year, with winter being the fourth hottest and fifth driest since 1931.
