New “front train” more rain to Portugal soon
The first days of this week were characterized by several meteorological phenomena in Mainland Portugal and Madeirastanding out the famous high impact storm named Celia. Thanks to her position in the Gulf of Cádiz, Celia has been injecting since Monday a density air mass with suspended dust.
It was not the first time, nor a little more or less, that our country was hit by dust from the Sahara pushed by winds from the south quadrant. Nonetheless, the magnitude of this episode was unique, impressive for the colossal dimension it acquired throughout the Iberian Peninsula and a good part of Europe.
Even in the Autonomous Region of Madeira, Celia’s passing was impressiveespecially in relation to storm of wind, snow and steam.
In addition to the rain, accompanied by thunderstorms and hail, and the cold (repetitions at high points on the Island), a heavy snow in the Mountainous Regions, with unsolvable images in the middle of March. Furthermore, the Archipelago was in red warning due to maritime storm (risk of waves with a maximum height of 14 meters).
Finally, it is worth noting the maximum wind gust value recorded on the islandon Monday, the 14th, at the meteorological station of Ponta de São Lourenço – 161 km/ha value of wind power equivalent to that of a Category 2 allowed!
Returning to the mainland, there were interesting rainfall accumulations between Monday and Wednesday, especially in Baixo Alentejo and Algarve. From Tuesday to today, Saharan dust made news and was the sensation of social networksespecially when, which combine with in the places, in which they combine with the in the places, deposited “mud rain” on surfaces.
a rain of the last week and the first half of it has benefited the entire country, which thus begins slowly repairing the drought. It is logical that the drought, accumulated in the first fortnight is insufficient to face the drought but water storage levels have already risen in several reservoirs and watershedsthere is good news for fields, pastures and hydroelectric production.
“Short-lived sun” until Sunday
This Thursday as Saharan dust is gradually dissipating, from north to south of our continental geography. If you love the sun, make the most of tomorrow, March 18th. beyond the heatboosted by higher-than-normal temperatures for the time of year and strong eastward flow, will be clear skies and mostly sunny, especially on the western coast. In the interior of mainland Portugal there will be cloudy periods, especially in the afternoon.
On Saturday, the weather will be quite similar. The east stream will dominate, blowing, sometimes strong from the southeast. it is expected cloudy periods, this time, the entire territory. It is also expected a slight rise in maximum temperatures in the North Regionis low thermal in the Center and South regions slightalthough some locations do not register any thermal oscillations.
From Sunday onwards, more rain on the way to mainland Portugal
According to the European model figures, a new “convoy of fronts” and depressions should condition and worsen the weather in our country within a few days. By the way, at the moment there is a depression positioned and circular to the north-west of the Azores Archipelago, which will leave very strong winds and releasing fronts that are lashing this island territory. Tomorrow the intensity of the wind will be greater, it is expected gusts of up to 100 km/h on some islands of the Western and Central Groups, and thunderstorms.
After its rapid passage through the islands, one of the fronts derived from this depression will, from Sunday the 20th, it will hit mainland Portugal in full, and it is expected that the Central and Southern Regions, mainly between the mid-delta of Aveiro and the Algarve, will be the most decided as days.. In an initial phase, the north of the country should escape the meteorological instability, but as of Monday, it will expand to the rest of the country. One aspect seems to be evident: the east or southeast flow will remain strong and dominantalso foreseeing a gradual rise in temperatures from Monday the 21st.
From Tuesday onwards, the uncertainty associated with this “combo” of fronts increasedespite the fact that it seems increasingly likely that a episode of instability and widespread and abundant rainwhich, if confirmed, we will have news for Portugal regarding the great progressive relief from drought. Weather maps insist on possibility that some of these depressions may become isolated at altitudewhich will increase the uncertainty associated with its trajectory, as well as the regions where it may have more.