Portugal has recorded its highest May temperature on record, as an unseasonable heatwave tightens its grip on parts of Europe. The mercury hit 47 degrees Celsius in the central town of Alvega on Thursday, eclipsing the previous national record for the month by a clear margin.
The extreme heat marks an early arrival of summer conditions across the Iberian Peninsula. Authorities in Portugal and neighbouring Spain have issued health warnings as temperatures exceeded 40 degrees Celsius in several regions. The heat is expected to persist through the weekend before a cold front brings brief relief early next week.
Meteorologists attribute the anomaly to a combination of a high-pressure system and a plume of hot air drawn up from North Africa. Climate scientists have long warned that such events will become more frequent and intense as global temperatures rise. In its latest assessment, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change identified southern Europe as a regional hotspot for extreme heat.
Portugal’s emergency services have been placed on standby. The country’s health ministry activated a contingency plan to assist vulnerable populations, particularly the elderly and those with pre-existing conditions. Wildfire risk is elevated across large parts of the interior. In neighbouring Spain, three regions faced red alerts for extreme heat, with schools in some areas closing early or altering schedules to avoid the peak afternoon heat.
The European heatwave comes less than a year after Europe recorded its hottest summer on record, with temperatures in some parts of the continent exceeding 45 degrees Celsius. The persistence of such extremes has sparked debate over the resilience of critical infrastructure, including energy grids and transport networks, which have buckled under the strain of unusually high demand for cooling.
For now, the clear skies and relentless sun offer no respite. The record in Alvega underscores a broader trend. Data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service shows that May 2024 is on track to be one of the warmest on record globally, with land temperatures significantly above the 1991-2020 average.
The immediate outlook remains challenging. Forecasters expect temperatures to hover above 40 degrees Celsius across much of southern Portugal and central Spain through Saturday. A gradual cooling is anticipated only from Monday, with the arrival of Atlantic moisture and a slight drop in the mercury. Portugal’s record is the latest scientific data point in a growing archive of extremes. The question now is not whether records will continue to fall, but how societies will adapt to the new normal.
