Weather Conditions
From 29 July to 18 August 2013 there was a High pressure system located over the Azores region and a thermal trough over the Iberian Peninsula. From 19 August on, the High pressure system intensified and extended towards the British Isles while the weak thermal Low pressure area was established over central Iberian Peninsula (Figure 4a). Therefore, a hot dry air mass from Spain and North Africa which lead to high air temperature and low humidity conditions in Portugal (Figure 4b). The wind in the northern and central part was from the east, being moderate to strong at night in mountain regions as the Caramulo. Two heat waves hit northern and central regions of Portugal during August - one at the beginning and another at the end of the month.
a) |
b) |
| Figure 4: ECMWF analysis a) mean sea level pressure and 10 m winds (in knots) and b) potential temperature at 850hPa. |