Overall, November was pretty balmy in Portugal, some areas even registered a heat wave and the overall lack of rainfall made the Algarve the best place in Europe to spend holiday time.
The Portuguese weather service reported that November "was characterised as a very dry month and hot, with a mean daily maximum air temperature of 18.58 degrees Celsius, much higher than normal. This was the fifth highest since 1931 and the highest in the last 34 years."
The average air temperature was 13.42 degrees Celsius, much higher than normal for November and the third highest figure in the last 20 years.
Between November 6th and 14th there were official heat waves in Braga, Montalegre and Elvas. A heat wave is classified as when for at least six consecutive days the maximum temperature is more than five degrees over an average as logged between 1961 and 1990.”
November’s rainfall was worryingly low for farmers with an average across the country of just 53.6mm compared to an expected 109.4mm. This was the fifth lowest since 2002.
November was of course upset by the devastating storm that wreaked havoc along the Algarve coastline on the first of the month, flooding Albufeira’s downtown area and causing over €20 million worth of damage.
Weather stations across the Algarve recorded over 100 mm of rainfall, particularly those between Portimão and Faro, particularly in Silves, Paderne, São Bartolomeu de Messines and Faro.
The highest rainfall in 24 hours was in Silves with 144.8 mm.
The lowest temperature recorded in November was in Lamas de Mouro on Portugal’s northern border where residents faced the appalling prospect of venturing out in -5 degrees Celcius; the highest was in Pegões to the east of Lisbon where locals basked in 28.5 degrees Celcius.
The November report indicated that late in the month drought conditions in some southern areas, clearly not in Albufeira, extended to the central region.
