Almost 80% of mainland Portugal are in dry weather “severe” or “extreme”, according to the Portuguese Institute of Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA). But dams are still fairly full and agriculture for now is not to suffer.
After another month with rainfall far below what is considered normal July ended with a worsening drought, which has affected the entire country in June. The area situation “severe” or “extreme” increased from 68% to 79%. The rest of the Continent (21%) is in dry “low” or “moderate”
The IPMA features dry weather only. – An indicator that takes into account the temperature, rainfall and the amount of water in soil. However, the dams are not in bad shape, despite their level has been reduced.
Of the 60 reservoirs monitored by the Portuguese Environment Agency, only three are below 40% of its maximum capacity. Large dams are relatively full, as Alqueva (77%) and Castelo de Bode (80%).
Most of the watersheds of the country is with 60-80% water. Six – Lima, Douro, Mondego, Tagus, Sado and Guadiana – whose values are below average for the month of July. But the differences are not very high
The IPMA data confirm that the Portuguese felt in July:. Was a hot, dry month. There were no records broken, nor was the most burning July ever recorded – a distinction that is up to the year 1989. But the average temperature of the country – 23.2 o C – was surpassed only in 15 % of the years since 1931, when they begin the meteorological data series in Portugal.
Since the maximum temperatures averaged 30.4 o C, the highest ninth since 1931 and the fifth largest since 2000. The record of this average for the month of July for the past 85 years, up to 2010: 31.8 o C
The averages conceal what citizens really feel on a day-to-day. And in four weather stations, Mirandela, Reguengos de Monsaraz, Amareleja and Mértola, on all days of July, without exception, the thermometer rose above the 30 o C. . In Reguengos, in particular, there were 25 days with over 35 o C
But who got the highest temperature of the month was Mirandela: 42.1 o C, on July 16, amid a heat wave that lasted six days in that part of the country. In four weather stations, Guarda, Portalegre, Évora and Mértola, there was also a six-day heat wave.
Rain was what little is seen in most of the country. Normal for July is 13.8 mm of precipitation. But they fell only 3.5 millimeters.
Since December that the amount of rain has been lower than normal. But in November and October rainfall was high, reducing the impact of dry weather that now takes place. Thus still since October – the beginning of the meteorological year – virtually the entire country, the cumulative rainfall so far represents 50-75% of the average
Farmers, the first to resent the lack of rain. It has not been much affected by the situation this year. “The pastures and crops in weaker lands had some decrease,” said Luís Mira, secretary general of the Confederation of Farmers of Portugal (CAP). “But you can not say it’s a drought year,” adds
Luis Mira explains that some crops have already been harvested and many other not heavily dependent on the weather, as already use irrigation -. As vineyards, olive groves and fruit crops in general.
The weather conditions are this year particularly favorable to forest fires. According to the National Authority for Civil Protection, is the worst in 16 years, in terms of weather severity. – An average indicator for risk of fire
The fires, however, rely heavily on short-factors time, as days of very extreme temperatures or prolonged heat waves. Between January and late July, burned 28,781 acres of woods and forests in Portugal, a value close to the average for the previous decade.
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