According to the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA), the drop in temperatures, both maximum and minimum, is due to an "anticyclone in the Azores, which will initially be located to the northwest of the archipelago, but which will subsequently oscillate its position, influencing the atmospheric flow over mainland Portugal".

The country will therefore be hit by "cold and dry" polar air due to the movement of the anticyclone, as IPMA meteorologist Patrícia Gomes tells TSF.

"We are heading towards the meteorological winter, which will begin on December 1st", so "it is normal for temperature values to be low and for them to drop even further from" next month onwards", says Patrícia Gomes.

The drop in temperatures, together with the increase in wind intensity, "will result in thermal discomfort", and it is predicted that "in several regions there will be a sensation of slight cold or, more locally, of moderate cold", says the IPMA.

From Tuesday onwards, "the minimum temperature on the mainland will be between 0°C and 7°C in the interior of the country and between 7°C and 10°C in the coastal regions", reads the statement from IPMA, reporting a "generalized drop in temperatures", which "should then be at normal values for the time of year".

Maximum temperatures are expected to vary "between 9°C and 17°C in the North and Central interior regions, between 13°C and 19°C in the South region, between 15°C and 20°C in the West coastal zone and between 16 °C and 20°C in the southern coastal area".