Record temperatures grip Iberia as mercury hits 45C
LISBON: Eight places in the centre, south and east of Portugal have broken their local temperature records as a heat wave grips the region, the country’s weather agency has said.
The highest temperature recorded Thursday was 45.2C near Abrantes, a town which is only 150 kilometres northeast of the capital, Lisbon, the IPMA said.
Temperatures across Portugal was forecasted to keep rising yesterday to around 45C. No relief in sight was expected today with temperatures expected to reach a maximum 47C in some places.
Previously, Portugal’s highest temperature ever recorded was 47.4C in 2003. Emergency services have issued a red alert across the country and extra services such as medical staff and firefighters are expected to be on standby throughout the entire weekend to prevent casualties.
Temperatures were being driven higher across the Iberian peninsula by a stream of hot air mass moving northward from Africa. Along with the hot air, the mass is also bringing dust from the Sahara Desert, meteorologists said.
In Spain, heat warnings were also issued for 41 of the country’s 50 provinces as temperatures were expected to reach up to 44C.
Summer temperatures close to 40 degrees Celsius is not highly unusual in southern parts of the Iberian peninsula.
Spain’s highest recorded temperature is 46.9C in Cordoba, a southern city, in July of last year.
The World Meteorological Organisation says continental Europe’s record is 48C which was registered in Greece back in 1977.