2017-03-09 (IPMA)
The month of February 2017, in Portugal mainland, can be classified as normal regarding the amount of precipitation and hot regarding air temperature.
The average value of the average air temperature was 11.05°C, 1.07°C above the normal value, being this the 9th hottest February since 1931. In the last 20 years only the months of February 1998, 2000 and 2008 had an average value higher than in 2017.
The mean value of maximum air temperature, 15.79°C, was higher than the normal value with an anomaly of +1.41, being the 8th highest value since 1931. The mean value of minimum air temperature, 6.32°C, was also higher than the normal value with an anomaly of +0.75°C.
At the beginning of February, due to the passage of successive frontal disturbances, there were rainy periods, especially in the North and Center regions, being sometimes strong in Minho and Douro Litoral accompanied by moderate to strong wind in the west coast, with bursts of 60 to 80 km/h, and strong to very strong wind in the highlands, with bursts of 100 to 110 km/h.
The total precipitation was about 113% of normal value, classifying this month as normal. Precipitation values higher than those of February 2017 occurred in about 35% of the years, since 1931.
Thus, during this month there was a decrease of the area in weak drought, finishing this situation in almost all the North region, interior Center and Algarve. At the end of February, 57% of the territory was in a weak drought situation.