After days of relentless rain, Storm Ingrid is poised to significantly worsen weather conditions across Portugal, bringing what forecasters warn could be one of the most severe winter events in years.
Ingrid is the strongest system in a “train” of Atlantic storms crossing the country this week. From Thursday onwards, Portugal faces a sharp drop in temperatures, heavy rain, thunderstorms, hail, gale-force winds and widespread snowfall that could blanket nearly half the country.
According to the Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA), the cold front associated with Ingrid will arrive from the north late Thursday afternoon, bringing periods of intense rain that will later turn into showers, some accompanied by hail and thunder. The system is expected to move slowly southwards, affecting the country until at least Sunday, with the worst conditions forecast between Friday night and Saturday.
As temperatures plunge, made to feel even colder by strong winds, rain is expected to turn to snow above 800 metres, with snow levels potentially dropping to 600 metres or even 400 metres in some areas. This raises the possibility of snowfall in regions rarely affected, from the Marvão and Candeeiros mountains to most high ground north of the Tagus River.
IPMA warns of significant snow accumulation in the northern and central mountain ranges, with totals of up to 25 centimetres above 800 metres by Sunday. Orange snow warnings have already been issued for several districts, including Braga, Porto, Viana do Castelo, Vila Real, Viseu and Aveiro, with alerts extending to Castelo Branco and Guarda.
Meteorologists say some forecast models -such as those used by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) point to a “potentially historic snowfall”, possibly reaching southern Portugal, with large swathes of the Iberian Peninsula predicted to turn white.
“It is still too early to tell, but if forecasts remain the same, this could be the biggest snowstorm of the year and possible of the last few years,” writes meteorological website Meteored.
Temperatures will remain well below seasonal averages. In Lisbon, daytime highs are expected to struggle past 12°C, with lows dipping to 5–6°C. Inland areas such as Portalegre could see temperatures fall to 0°C, while most of the country will record maximums below 10°C.
Winds will also intensify from late Thursday, blowing from the west with gusts of 70–80 km/h along the coast and up to 100 km/h in highland areas.
At sea, conditions will be particularly dangerous. IPMA forecasts north-westerly waves of six to eight metres along the west coast between Friday and Sunday, with maximum wave heights potentially reaching 15 metres. Multiple coastal districts are under orange warnings for rough seas.
Meteorologists blame the extreme conditions on a disrupted jet stream, currently pushed southwards over the Iberian Peninsula by high-pressure systems, allowing a succession of powerful storms from the North Atlantic and Greenland to sweep across Portugal.
