Portugal is in for a gloomy weekend with temperatures plummeting as much as 10º C in some areas, forecasts IPMA, Portugal’s sea and atmosphere institute.
Clouds will cover most of the country’s skies on Saturday, with rain likely to fall from Setúbal northwards
The Algarve though looks like escaping the worst, with blue skies despite less heat.
IPMA forecasts maximum temperatures of 23ºC in Faro, 25ºC in the Alentejo, Lisbon and Castelo Branco and 21ºC in Porto.
Bad news for beachgoers, good news for the land
Although rain is not the best news for beachgoers, meteorologists say it is just what parched Portugal needs.
“If it didn’t rain until the end of September, the situation would be very serious by the autumn,” IPMA’s Pedro Viterbo told Lusa news agency, adding that even if it rains a lot, the situation of drought will maintain.
According to latest data, 80% of Portugal is facing either “serious or extreme drought”.
Some towns and villages in the north of Portugal – especially in Trás-os-Montes – have have run out of water altogether and have had to have it supplied in containers.
As IPMA has been warning throughout the summer, the situation heightens Portugal’s fire risks.
