The passage of Storm Ingrid across mainland Portugal, beginning tonight, 21st January, is set to bring rain, strong winds, rough seas, and snow in some parts of Portugal, possibly even the Algarve, according to the Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA).
Due to the rough sea conditions, the Algarve and Lower Alentejo coasts will be under an orange warning from 3am on Thursday.
Algarve-based forecaster Meteofontes, supported by Lagoa Municipal Council, has noted that “if the forecasts hold it could snow in a fairly ‘notable’ way above 750 metres here in the Serra de Monchique, during the early hours and morning of Saturday.”
According to the website, run by environmental engineer and amateur meteorologist Bruno Gonçalves, the situation remains “highly uncertain and, as this is an Atlantic system, it is generally not favourable for snow at very low altitudes this far south”.
Snow is an exceptionally rare sight in the Algarve, but the upper heights of the Serra de Monchique have on a handful of occasions been dusted with snow. The most recent confirmed snowfall there occurred just days ago, 18th January, when minor flurries were reported at Fóia, the highest peak in the region, marking one of the few times in living memory that snow has settled so far south in Portugal.
Prior to that, notable snow was last recorded on 27 February 2016, when the upper reaches of Monchique found themselves under a thin blanket of snow, a phenomenon that drew locals and visitors alike up the mountain to catch a glimpse of this unusual winter spectacle.
On a separate note, for the rest of today, Wednesday, showers are expected during the afternoon, which may be heavy, with hail and thunderstorms, especially in the North. Snowfall is forecast above 1,100 to 1,300 metres in the Serra da Estrela from the afternoon onwards, alongside moderate to strong winds.
On Thursday, skies are expected to be partly cloudy in the morning, becoming very cloudy from the afternoon onwards. Showers are forecast during the night and morning in the North and Centre, with periods of moderate to heavy rain developing from mid-afternoon along the northern and central coast.
This rain is expected to spread inland across the North and Centre by late afternoon and evening, reaching the South later on Thursday night, albeit with lesser intensity.
Snowfall is expected above 1,000 to 1,200 metres in the Serra da Estrela, with the snow line rising from late afternoon onwards.
Moderate to strong southerly winds are also forecast, with gusts of up to 75 km/h along the west coast and 90 km/h in highland areas. North-westerly waves of 5 to 7 metres in significant height are expected, potentially reaching a maximum height of 12 metres.
Forecasts are expected to remain broadly similar until Sunday, when, according to Meteofontes, the afternoon should be “dry, with some good sunny spells”.
Source: Meteofontes / IPMA / Sul Informação
