The climate bulletin from the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) classifies the month of October 2023 as “extremely hot in relation to air temperature and very rainy in relation to precipitation”.

According to IPMA, the month of October was the second hottest in the last 93 years after October 2017.

The bulletin states that the maximum air temperature was the tenth highest since 1931 and the fourth highest since 2000, while the minimum temperature was the second highest in the last 92 years.

“During the month there were two distinct periods, the first half of the month was characterized by very high air temperature values, while in the second half of the month, temperature values were generally lower than the monthly average value”, indicates the IPMA, adding that, during the hot period, new extreme values of the maximum temperature were recorded in 26% of the meteorological stations and the minimum temperature in 18% of the stations.

The document also states that a heat wave that occurred in October covered almost the entire territory of the continent.

The bulletin also indicates that October was the fourth wettest since 1931, with a total of 219.3 liters per square meter, which corresponds to approximately twice the average value from 1981 to 2010.

According to IPMA, precipitation occurred from October 13th until the end of the month due to the successive passage of several frontal swells that caused heavy and persistent rain, with the previous highest daily precipitation values being exceeded. in around 12% of the stations and the monthly totals recorded were among the highest for October in several stations in the territory.

The meteorological institute highlights the “significant increase in the percentage of water in the soil throughout the territory”, with the North and Center regions recording values above 80% in most places, the Tagus Valley area and Alto Alentejo values between 40% and 80% while Baixo Alentejo and Algarve “still have some places with values below 20%”.

The IPMA also indicates that at the end of October, there was a significant decrease in the area and intensity of the meteorological drought throughout the continent.

However, maintains that organization, “some places in Alentejo and Algarve are still in meteorological drought”.

The IPMA states that on October 31st, 13% of the territory of mainland Portugal was in a mild meteorological drought.