The Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) released, late Sunday afternoon, special information related to the forecast of hot weather in Madeira and mainland Portugal from the end of this week.
After a weekend with temperatures close to, or slightly lower than, normal for the time of year, and which are expected to continue at the beginning of this week, there is a tendency for the anticyclone, located in the Azores region, to intensify and extend as a ridge towards Central Europe from the 24th onwards, creating an easterly flow and, consequently, the transport of a mass of hot, dry air over the Iberian Peninsula and the Madeira archipelago.
Therefore, a significant rise in air temperatures is expected at the end of the week, with maximum temperatures above 30°C across most of the mainland and possibly exceeding 40°C in some regions, especially inland. Minimum temperatures are expected to exceed 20°C in most regions, particularly in the south. In the Madeira archipelago, maximum temperatures could hover around or even exceed 30°C, especially on the southern slopes and in mountainous regions.
IPMA meteorologists believe that, due to the temporal distance of this hot weather event, there is still some uncertainty regarding the intensity and duration of the episode. They advise monitoring forecasts in the coming days, as weather warnings are likely to be issued.