Portugal records hottest September since 1931

Portugal recorded its hottest September this year since records began in 1931, the IPMA national weather agency said on Wednesday.

IPMA said the average air temperature was 23.4C, which was 2.9C above the 1991-2020 average. It said the maximum air temperature reached 31.03C, about 4.21C above the norm, also the highest in its historic series.

The agency said Portugal was hit by two hot spells during the month and that September was the fifth driest for rainfall since 2000.

Portugal also recorded its heat record for May this year, at 40.3C, and IPMA said last week that the country had its third warmest summer on record.