[REVISION HISTORY]

Portugal heat wave, wildfire, and weather instability 2026

Updated 22 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

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2026-09-08 20:58 UTC → 2026-09-11 06:24 UTC · added ~~removed~~

The heat wave and wildfire crisis in Portugal intensified throughout July and early August 2026. July was the driest month for continental Portugal this century, with rainfall below 8% of the seasonal norm. This drought coincided with extreme temperatures, including a peak of 44.3°C in Mora on July 3. Health authorities recorded 680 excess deaths during the summer, with a significant spike of 555 deaths between July 2 and July 8, primarily affecting those aged 75 and older. By mid-August, weather remained volatile. The Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera (IPMA) issued orange alerts for several northern districts as temperatures approached 40°C. By late August, an Atlantic depression brought weather characteristic of autumn, including heavy rain, thunderstorms, and wind gusts between 70 and 90 km/h. Following this period of maritime polar air, an anticyclone near the Azores or northwest of mainland Portugal drove a shift toward warmer and drier conditions in early September. By September 3, Alcochete recorded 44.3°C, marking the fourth hottest September day in 85 years. Wildfire danger reached critical levels, with eleven municipalities in the Bragança, Guarda, Castelo Branco, and Coimbra districts under maximum risk. By September 6, IPMA maintained yellow heat alerts for ~~Beja, Castelo Branco, Évora, Faro, Lisbon, Setúbal, and Portalegre, as well as the southern coast of Madeira~~ several regions, including Lisbon and ~~Porto Santo. Extreme~~ Faro, while extreme wildfire risk was declared for 19 ~~municipalities across Bragança, Guarda, Santarém, Portalegre, and Faro, while over 80 other municipalities remained under a very high fire risk alert.~~ municipalities. By September 8, forecasts indicated that rain would return to the central ~~region, accompanied by~~ region. By September 10, mainland Portugal prepared for a ~~slight decrease~~ warm weekend of dry, sunny conditions as an anticyclone dominated the region. Temperatures in ~~maximum temperatures following~~ Alentejo and Ribatejo were forecast to reach 38°C by the ~~period~~ end of ~~exceptional heat.~~ the weekend. While Madeira remained mostly sunny, the Azores faced potential light rain from a passing cold front.

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