According to data from the IPMA annual bulletin, the average air temperature in 2023 (16.59ºC) was only surpassed by that recorded in 2022.
O Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) published its annual newsletter about the climate, which confirmed that the year 2023 was the second hottest ever in Portugal. According to reportonly 2022 surpassed the high temperatures observed last year.
With an annual average of average air temperature of 16.59°C2023 showed an increase of 1.04°C in relation to the normal value in the period between 1981 and 2010. It should also be remembered that Last year was marked by seven heat wavesdistributed throughout spring (three), summer (three) and autumn (one).
The analysis of the IPMA reveals that maximum and minimum temperatures were significantly above the historical average, with the maximum air temperature reaching the second highest value since 1931while the minimum temperature ranked as the ninth highest.
In relation to precipitation, 2023 recorded the ninth lowest value since the year 2000, with a total annual precipitation of 735.8 millimeters. This value represents an anomaly of 105.7 millimeters less compared to the average between 1981 and 2010. The year 2023 witnessed 30 new extremes of precipitation, with emphasis on the month of October, which recorded 13 monthly extremes.
In summer, the temperature extremes observed were evident, with the month of August recorded nine absolute daily maximum temperature extremes and an absolute minimum temperature extreme.
Based on these and other data, the annual bulletin of the IPMA classifies the year 2023 in mainland Portugal as “extremely hot”with conditions of severe and extreme drought affecting between 30% The 40% of the national territoryespecially between the months of April and August in the southern region.
The winter was characterized by above-average temperatures and significant precipitation, while the spring was extremely hot and dry, surpassed only by 1997 since 1931. The summer recorded normal levels of precipitation and was the sixth hottest summer in recent years. 93 years. Finally, the autumn season was marked by high temperatures and abundant rain, being the fourth warmest since 1931 and the ninth wettest.
With this information released, O IPMA reinforces the importance of adapting to climate change and implementing mitigation measures to face the challenges arising from rising temperatures and climate variability.
It should also be remembered that 2023 was, according to the Climate Change Monitoring Service of the Copernicus (C3S) from the European Union (HUH)the hottest year ever recorded on the planet Earth and that it was possibly the hottest year in the last 100 thousand years.
