According to the summary of the climatological bulletin of the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA), a heatwave was recorded between 15 and 20 June at 12 stations out of a total of 90.

The second heat wave was recorded from 27 June and lasted until the first days of July. On Wednesday, around 59% of the stations were in a heatwave.

On Sunday, a new absolute extreme for the month of June in mainland Portugal was reached in Mora, Évora, with the weather station recording 46.6 degrees Celsius (ºC).

The IPMA indicates that a heatwave occurs “when, over a period of at least six consecutive days, the maximum daily temperature is 5°C higher than the average daily value in the reference period”.

The agency says that June is the summer month in which heatwaves occur most frequently in mainland Portugal.

In the climatological bulletin, a preliminary document with some indicators, the IPMA says that the month of June “was classified as very hot and very dry”.

According to the institute, it was the third hottest June since 1931, with an average air temperature of over 2.14°C above normal.

The average maximum and minimum air temperatures were also higher than normal, 2.87°C and 1.40°C, respectively.

It was also the fourth driest June in the last 94 years, with total precipitation below normal, around 20% of the average value, with mild meteorological drought in the northwest region of the territory and in the Algarve leeward region.

During the heat alert period, which began last Saturday, 69 excess deaths were recorded, mainly among people aged 85 or over, according to preliminary data from the State Health Department.