Following weeks of intense heat, which has hampered the fight against the fires that have affected the North and Centre of the country, the forecast for next weekend is for cloudy skies, rain, and a sharp drop in temperatures.

For Friday, August 22, the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) forecasts "partly cloudy or clear skies, with more cloud cover on the central coast and the Costa Vicentina until early morning" and a "slight rise in temperature, especially in the north and center."

The wind is expected to be "weak to moderate (up to 30 km/h) from the north, temporarily from the southwest on the southern coast of the Algarve during the afternoon, and sometimes strong (up to 40 km/h) in the highlands of the north and center until mid-morning and from mid-afternoon onward."

Meteorologists also predict "a possibility of morning fog or mist in some areas of the Central Coast."

In Lisbon, the sky is expected to be "partly cloudy or clear, with periods of increased cloudiness until early morning," the wind is expected to be "light to moderate (up to 30 km/h) from the northwest," and a "high temperature increase" is possible.

For Porto, the sky is expected to be "partly cloudy or clear," light winds, "blowing moderately (up to 25 km/h) from the northwest during the afternoon," and a "slight rise in temperature."

Saturday

The IPMA expects identical forecasts for Saturday, August 23. The sky will be partly cloudy or clear, with periods of increased cloudiness on the west coast, which may persist in some areas.

Generally light winds, blowing moderately (20 to 30 km/h) from the west starting in the afternoon, and sometimes strong (up to 40 km/h) in the highlands, from the northeast until early morning and from mid-afternoon onwards.

There is also a possibility of morning fog or mist in some areas along the west coast, and a "slight rise in maximum temperatures in the interior North and Center and a slight drop along the coast" may be recorded.

Sunday

For Sunday, August 24th, experts predict "generally cloudy skies, gradually decreasing in cloudiness from mid-afternoon onwards, from north to south," "periods of rain or showers in the North and Center regions from the morning onwards, gradually extending to the South, where they will be light and infrequent."

The wind is expected to blow "weak to moderate (up to 30 km/h) from the west, becoming moderate to strong (30 to 45 km/h) in the highlands from mid-afternoon onwards, with gusts of up to 60 km/h."

In turn, temperatures are expected to drop, especially the maximums.

In Madeira, The sky will fluctuate between partly cloudy and partly cloudy over the next few days, with temperatures reaching a high of 26°C/28°C.

In the Azores, rain is expected, at least on some islands, and temperatures shouldn't exceed a high of 27°C.