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Climate

Climate change, environmental policy, and weather-related news in Portugal.

A young managed forest of pine and eucalyptus trees in central Portugal, slender trunks and green undergrowth typical of the country's fire-prone woodland

A New Free Platform Tracks the Iberian Peninsula's Living Forest Moisture to Sharpen Wildfire Warnings

A free new platform, ForestDrought, maps the live moisture of forests across the Iberian Peninsula every day — bringing the water in living plants, not just dead tinder, into wildfire-risk models as Portugal endures its worst fire year since 2017.

The Portugal Brief 19 Jul 2026

A satellite image showing plumes of wildfire smoke drifting across the Iberian Peninsula

Portugal Endures Its Worst Fire Year Since 2017 as a Rural Movement Decries Political 'Abandonment'

Some 30,155 hectares have burned across Portugal by early July — the worst since 2017 and up about 70% on 2025 — with the fiercest blaze near Vouzela. A citizens' movement blames political neglect of the rural interior, while experts point to farmland abandonment and unmanaged fuel.

The Portugal Brief 14 Jul 2026

The wide sandy beach of Praia de Faro on the Algarve coast meeting a calm blue Atlantic sea under a clear sky

The Sea off Faro Climbed to 26.1°C in Two Marine Heatwaves, Navy Buoy Data Show

The sea off Faro warmed to 26.1°C through two marine heatwaves between mid-June and early July, a Portuguese Navy coastal buoy recorded. The stronger event ran about 2.2°C above the seasonal threshold, part of a warming trend along the Algarve's touristed coast.

The Portugal Brief 11 Jul 2026

A long row of ground-mounted solar photovoltaic panels in a green field under a blue sky with scattered white clouds

Renewables Supplied 71% of Portugal's Electricity in a Record-Consumption First Half

Renewables supplied 71% of Portugal's electricity in the first half of 2026 — hydro 29%, wind 26%, solar 11% — even as consumption hit a record 27,200 GWh, REN data show. Solar output peaked at a record 3,800 MW on 29 June.

The Portugal Brief 10 Jul 2026

A bright yellow INEM national medical emergency ambulance marked Ambulancia parked on a paved forecourt beside tall cypress trees under a clear Portuguese sky

Two Summer Heatwaves Are Tied to About 123 Excess Deaths, Almost All Among Portugal's Over-85s

Portugal's two early-summer heatwaves are now tied to roughly 123 excess deaths, below the projections health authorities had feared. More than 70% were among people aged 85 or older, with no measurable excess mortality below 70, the Directorate-General of Health said.

The Portugal Brief 09 Jul 2026

Sunlit terracotta rooftops of Alfama above the Tagus river in Lisbon, Portugal, under a clear summer sky

As Air Conditioning Spreads, EU Home-Cooling Energy Has Doubled Since 2018 — Portugal Ranks Ninth

New Eurostat figures show EU households roughly doubled the energy they spent cooling their homes between 2018 and 2024, driven by fiercer heatwaves and spreading air conditioning. Portugal ranked ninth in absolute cooling use — a mid-table position that looks set to climb as summers lengthen.

The Portugal Brief 09 Jul 2026

A grove of mature olive trees on dry, sun-baked soil in Portugal

Brussels Sees Europe's Olive-Oil Output Slipping in 2026 — a Caution Flag for Portugal's Booming Groves

The European Commission expects EU olive-oil output to fall in 2026 even in a broadly favourable farm year. For Portugal — the world's fourth-largest exporter, powered by irrigated Alentejo groves — the projection sharpens a deferred question about water and climate.

The Portugal Brief 06 Jul 2026

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