The last dawn was tropical in Funchal, and in Quinta Grande, taking into account the air temperatures recorded in the automatic weather stations of the IPMA network in the Region. The hot night was also felt throughout the southwest coast of Madeira, with emphasis on Lugar de Baixo, in Ponta do Sol, which reached an extreme value of 26.0 degrees centigrade (ºC) in the middle of the night. Here, the night was not only tropical because the minimum air temperature had dropped below 20 ºC (19.8 ºC) at the beginning of the morning.
But let’s go by parts. Of the 19 weather stations scattered around Madeira, 3 recorded air temperatures over 20 degrees centigrade throughout the night. Namely Funchal / Observatory (21.2 ºC, minimum / 25.0 ºC, maximum), Funchal / Lido (21.6 ºC / 25.4 ºC) and Quinta Grande (20.6 ºC / 23.2 ºC).
Further west, night temperatures have also reached significant peaks, particularly in Ponta do Sol / Lugar de Baixo (26.0 ºC), Prazeres (21.7 ºC), Ponta do Pargo (21.8 ºC), and still in high zone of Funchal, case of Monte (21.0 ºC).
On the opposite, the highest station in the regional network, that of Pico do Areeiro, registered the lowest temperatures, by marking values that varied between 7.5 ºC, of minimum, and 10.5 ºC, of maximum. Even so, values well above the senses for almost the whole week, when the lows reached down to negative values.
The warm wind also brings with it the sand/dust from Africa which was evident yesterday and will also be around today, but not as we had last month. Once the rain starts that will dampen everything down.