Full Breakdown
Portugal Sets New May Temperature Record Amid Widespread European Heatwave
5/30/2026, 7:53:27 AM
Portugal Sets New May Temperature Record
On 27 May 2026 the Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) recorded 40.3 °C (104.5 °F) in the central town of Mora, eclipsing the previous May high of 40 °C. The earlier benchmark is cited either to May 2001 or to a 1953 reading at Pinhão. The heatwave, which began 20 May, produced 22 new station-maximum records across the country, including 40.1 °C in Alvega and 39.1 °C in Reguengos.
Heatwave Sweeps Western Europe
A persistent “heat dome” drove simultaneous extremes: the UK Met Office logged a provisional 35.1 °C at Kew Gardens, France’s Météo-France reported 37.8 °C at Angoulême-La Couronne, and Italy issued its first red alert of the year for Rome, Florence, Bologna, Brescia and Turin. Spain’s Aemet warned of “extraordinarily high” temperatures up to 37 °C, while Ireland broke its own May record. France placed 17 departments under orange alerts; Portugal placed most of the mainland under a yellow warning.
Key Data and Human Impacts
At least 11 open-water deaths were recorded in the United Kingdom and seven fatalities in France (five drownings, two during athletic events). Portugal’s Health Minister Ana Paula Martins reported a spike in hospitalisations linked to heat stress. The heatwave also triggered wildfire danger in seven Algarve municipalities and forced the closure of a primary school in Souston, France, after indoor temperatures reached 53 °C.
Official Statements and Government Responses
IPMA announced the record and warned the heatwave could be “the longest… and most intense for the month of May.” Ana Paula Martins highlighted rising hospital admissions. French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu chaired a ministerial meeting to devise a heat-readiness plan covering forest-fire prevention and water supply. Education Minister Édouard Geffray said Baccalaureate exams would continue “because the students are prepared.” Italian authorities imposed a red alert for five cities, while Spain’s Aemet issued heat alerts for the northeast. The UN cautioned that global average temperatures are likely to stay near record levels for the next four years.
Criticism and Opposition
French teachers’ unions condemned the decision to hold exams despite indoor temperatures exceeding 30 °C, noting that teachers were forced to bring fans and even screwdrivers to pry open windows. Union representatives argued the measures jeopardised student health and called for postponement or relocation of exam venues.
On-the-Ground Reports
Beyond the school closure in Souston, local media reported that French emergency services responded to multiple heat-related incidents, including drownings in open water. In Portugal, hospitals reported increased admissions for dehydration and heat exhaustion. At the French Open, maintenance staff flooded clay courts after each day’s matches to keep the surface cool.
Conflicting Reports and Gaps
Sources differ on the prior May temperature record: some cite a 1953 reading at Pinhão, others reference a 2001 record at Termas de Monfortinho. Death tallies also vary; while one source lists exact numbers (11 UK, 7 France), another describes “several” fatalities without specifics. Spain’s classification of the event as an official heatwave remains ambiguous across reports.
Verbatim Quotes
- “The current heat wave could be the longest... and most intense for the month of May,” the Portuguese Institute for the Sea and Atmosphere warned. — IPMA press release
- “Really it was nothing against the heat, nothing against the weather. It was just me today, but it happens.” — Jannik Sinner, tennis player
- “we flood the courts, we soak them, so as to replenish with water the different layers that make up the clay” — Philippe Vaillant, head maintenance worker (French Open)
- “Temperatures are "extraordinarily high" for this time of year across Spain, at levels typically seen in summer, the service said.” — Aemet, Spanish national weather office
- “The UN warned on Thursday that global average temperatures are likely to continue at or near record levels this year and for the next four years.” — United Nations climate agency
Outlook and Broader Significance
Meteorological models project that Portugal’s heatwave will persist into early June, with temperatures remaining above 35 °C in the Alentejo region. Europe’s warming trend of 0.56 °C per decade, noted by the Copernicus climate service, suggests that such May extremes may become more frequent. Continued coordination among national agencies and public-health preparedness will be essential to mitigate health risks and protect vulnerable populations as the season progresses.
