August seemed to expats and seasoned locals to have been a tad cooler than in previous years, and they are right.
The August average temperature this year was the lowest for 14 years.
The monthly newsletter sent out by Portugal’s weather service stated that the average temperature recorded during the month of August was ‘less than the normal value’ and was the second lowest since 2001.
The IPMA said that during August this year there was not a single day when the thermometer recorded an air temperature of over 40 degrees, a situation that has not occurred since 1996. According to the bulletin for August the average minimum and maximum temperatures were below normal values - respectively 0.49 degrees and 0.75 degrees below.
Another aspect was the lack of hot days, defined as a day when the temperature goes over 30 degrees, particularly in the north and centre of the country with the notable exceptions of the wine growing areas of Beja, Elvas and Reguengos which had temperatures nearer the average and had 28 hot days.
The cooler August weather did not deter tourists which gave the Algarve region a welcome boost - number soared with hotel occupancy at over 90% -
See http://www.algarvedailynews.com/news/3349-algarve-hotels-reach-92-1-occupancy-in-august
30C = 86F
40C = 104F
