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Record-breaking heat: Portugal faces its driest and hottest year in 94 Years
06th September, 2025 03:52 PM
Hit by three heat waves, Portugal experienced its hottest and driest summer in 94 years, the Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) reported Friday.
The average air temperature reached 23.51 degrees Celsius, 1.55 degrees above the 1991–2020 reference period, while the average maximum temperature stood at 30.78 degrees Celsius, the highest in more than nine decades and 2.09 degrees above the normal value.
The record-breaking summer left an unmistakable mark on the country. Over the course of three separate heat waves, Portugal registered 33 new maximum temperature records and 10 new minimum temperature records. On June 29, the town of Mora endured a sweltering 46.6 degrees Celsius, setting a new all-time high for that month in mainland Portugal.
At the same time, rainfall plummeted to historic lows. With only 10.9 millimetres of precipitation, Portugal received just 24 per cent of its 1991–2020 average rainfall, making the summer of 2025 the driest since 1931. Water shortages became a pressing concern, reservoirs reached critical levels, and farmers across the nation faced major agricultural losses.
The severity of this summer underscores the growing risks of climate change in Southern Europe. Scientists warn that rising average temperatures combined with prolonged droughts will increase the frequency of extreme weather events.
The resulting strain on agriculture, ecosystems, and public health could be profound if adaptation measures are not accelerated.
Officials are now being urged to strengthen climate resilience policies, including improved water management, reforestation, and the development of heat-mitigation infrastructure in urban areas.
IPMA described the season as “extremely hot and extremely dry,” highlighting the unprecedented combination of high temperatures and minimal precipitation that made this summer stand out in Portugal’s climate history.
