In a statement, the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) states that the Nelson depression, with an impact from Iceland to the Madeira archipelago, will also affect the weather on the mainland.
“Persistent rainfall is expected, sometimes heavy and accompanied by thunderstorms, at least until Easter Sunday. This precipitation will often be in the form of snow in the highest points of Serra da Estrela and the mountains of the extreme North, and in some periods it may drop to levels of around 1,000 meters in altitude”, says the IPMA.
The institute also predicts temperatures with values “without significant change throughout the week”, despite a variation in the expected minimum temperature, which is expected to rise on Wednesday and fall again on the 29th, Friday.
“Maximum temperatures will be recorded between 15 and 20°C in the South region, between 10 and 15°C in most of the North and Center, and lower in the northeast of Trás-os-Montes and in the highlands, where on several days they should not exceed 10°C. Minimum temperatures should be between 5 and 10°C in a large part of the territory, in some places in the North and Central interior between 0 and 5°C, and maybe occasionally lower in the highlands”, explains the IPMA.
“Periods with strong winds are also expected, predominantly from the western quadrant, with gusts of up to 85 km/hour, which may exceed 100 km/hour in the highlands”.
As for the state of the sea, the IPMA anticipates “strong sea disturbances over an extended period of time that could last until the 30th [Saturday], especially on the western coast, with waves from the northwest with a significant height of five to seven meters”.
On the mainland coast, between the districts of Viana do Castelo and Lisbon, an orange warning for sea disturbances is in force until 03:00 on Friday.
From Setúbal to Faro, an orange warning for sea disturbances is in force until 3pm on Wednesday.
In the districts of Viana do Castelo, Braga, Porto, Aveiro, Coimbra, Leiria, Lisbon, Setúbal, Beja and Faro, a yellow warning due to wind is in force until 9pm today, a warning that will last until 9pm Wednesday in the districts of Guarda and Castelo Branco.