The IPMA climate bulletin indicates that, in mainland Portugal, the month of November 2024 was classified as “extremely hot” in relation to air temperature and dry in relation to precipitation.

“It was the hottest November in the last 94 years. The average value of the average air temperature, 15.4 °C, presents an anomaly of + 2.69 °C in relation to the normal value for 1981-2010”, explains the IPMA.

According to the bulletin, the minimum air temperature recorded the third highest value since 1931 and second highest since 2000, while the maximum temperature had the fourth highest value in the last 93 years.

“During the month, air temperature values ​​were almost always above the monthly average value, with November 6th standing out with 20% of the meteorological stations in the IPMA network recording maximum temperature values ​​above 25 °C. On November 6th, the highest value of the month was recorded, 27.9 °C, at the Alcácer do Sal meteorological station”, indicates the document.

Drought

The IPMA highlights the heavy rainfall recorded in the period from the 14th to the 16th, especially in the South region on the 16th and in particular in the interior of Baixo Alentejo and the Algarve, where flooding occurred in some locations.

The bulletin also informs that there was a decrease in the area under meteorological drought in the South region, limited only to the South coastal region between Sines and Portimão.

At the end of November, only 8% of the territory was in meteorological drought (weak drought class).

Worldwide

Worldwide, the average temperature was 14.10 degrees, 0.70 higher than the average value between 1991 and 2020.

“The month is estimated to have been about 1.62°C warmer than the pre-industrial average of 1850-1900, and is the 16th month in a 17-month period in which the average surface air temperature global temperature exceeded 1.5° degrees”, said IPMA, in a statement

In Europe, the average value of the average air temperature was 5.14 °C, + 0.78 °C than the average value 1991-2020.

Air temperatures were above average (1991-2020) in northern Russia and there were record temperatures in Kirkenes in Arctic Norway. Denmark had the hottest night for the month of November and Iceland also set a record for the hottest night in November anywhere above 60° latitude: 22.9°C.

In the southwestern regions of Europe, air temperatures were similarly above average, with extreme night temperatures recorded in France at the end of the month.

“In contrast, Eastern and Southern Europe and Turkey recorded below-average temperatures, as did some parts of Italy,” the technicians noted.