The climate bulletin of the Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera (IPMA) informs that the month of August in mainland Portugal was classified as extremely hot in relation to air temperature and dry in relation to precipitation, having been the fifth warmest since 1931, after 2003, 2018, 1949 and 2010.

According to IPMA, during the month the August maximum temperature was exceeded in 20 stations, the historical maximum was exceeded in seven stations, and there were two heat waves that covered the regions of the Tagus Valley, interior North and Center and South region.

The bulletin highlights the 6th and 7th, 22nd and 23rd with very high values of maximum and minimum air temperature, with the 22nd and 23rd, respectively, being the fifth and sixth hottest days in the last 15 years in mainland Portugal.

The IPMA also indicates that, during the month of August, there was no precipitation in a large part of the territory, except in the Minho region, in particular on the 18th and 19th, with daily values above 40 millimeters.

The document also highlights the decrease in the percentage of water in the soil throughout the territory, being more significant in the Tagus Valley, Alentejo and Algarve regions.

According to IPMA, these regions have percentage values of water in the soil below 10%, and in many places "the water content in the soil is at the level of permanent wilting point".

The bulletin also highlights that, at the end of August, there was an increase in the intensity of the meteorological drought in almost the entire territory of the continent, highlighting the districts of Setúbal, Évora, Beja and Faro with an increase in the area under drought.

According to the document, on August 31, 97% of the territory was in meteorological drought, of which 46% were in the severe and extreme drought classes.