Polar air brings colder temperatures to Portugal

The arrival of a mass of polar air will bring colder mornings and nights, particularly in the North and Centre of the country, although the Alentejo will also experience a noticeable drop in temperatures.

Weather website Meteored reports that on 22 October is expected to be the coldest day of the week, with Bragança and Leiria seeing the lowest minimum temperatures.

Bragança could reach just 4.4°C, followed by Leiria with 4.6°C. Guarda is expected to record 5.9°C, while Braga, Évora, Viseu and Vila Real could all see temperatures between 6°C and 7°C.

Beja, Coimbra and Viana do Castelo are also among the district capitals where temperatures could fall below 8°C.

The colder weather comes after several weeks of relatively warm temperatures across Portugal, with some parts of the country recently enjoying daytime highs close to 30°C.

Meteored explains that the change is being caused by colder polar air reaching mainland Portugal. The biggest difference will be felt during the night and early morning, particularly in inland areas where temperatures tend to drop more quickly.

In some parts of the country, temperatures could be between 3°C and 6°C below the average for this time of year.

What about the Algarve?

The Algarve is expected to avoid the lowest temperatures, although mornings and evenings will also be cooler than in recent weeks.

Faro is one of the district capitals expected to maintain minimum temperatures above 10°C on Thursday, together with Lisbon and Santarém.

By Friday, 23 October, temperatures are expected to begin rising again in some areas. Faro could see minimum temperatures of around 13°C, while Beja and Évora are forecast to reach approximately 10°C.

However, the cold weather is not expected to disappear completely. According to forecasts from the Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA), minimum temperatures could remain close to 4°C in Bragança and Guarda on 24 October.

For those living in the Algarve, the change may be less dramatic than in northern Portugal, but the cooler mornings are another reminder that autumn is well underway, even after the unusually warm weather experienced earlier this month.