Portugal heatwave intensifies food waste and drives IPMA's satellite contract renewal

A prolonged heat wave in Portugal has sharply increased food spoilage. The Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) issued multiple heat warnings as temperatures rose above 40 °C, prompting the Institute of Food Waste studies to note that a 10 °C rise can double or triple deterioration rates. Portugal already discards about 184 kg of food per person annually – roughly 1.9 million tonnes countrywide – and 28 % of consumers admit to wasting more during summer, especially fruit, vegetables and dairy. Maria Tolentino, Country Manager of Too Good To Go Portugal, warned that “extreme temperatures demand stricter food‑preservation habits and technology support”.

At the same time, IPMA attended the 111th EUMETSAT Council session in Darmstadt, Germany, where it signed a contract for the fifth phase of the Satellite Application Facility on Land Surface Analysis (LSA SAF) covering 2027‑2032, worth over €4 million. The agreement aims to deliver new climate‑product services, expand cloud‑based processing, and deepen user interaction, reinforcing Portugal’s role as a European satellite‑data hub. The country also continues to face red‑level heat alerts in the Alentejo region, with temperatures reaching 42 °C in Évora and Beja.