February was the rainiest February in 47 years and the eighth warmest since records began (1931), according to the climate bulletin for the mainland from the Portuguese Institute for the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA).
According to the summary of the bulletins for the mainland and for the autonomous regions, February was characterized by being very hot and rainy on the mainland, with an average temperature of 11.58 °C, 1.72 °C above the reference normal (1991-2020). The highest value was in 2024.
The minimum temperature was the sixth highest since 1931 (2.59 °C above normal), says IPMA, which notes that between February 21 and 26 there was a heat wave in four locations in the Bragança and Guarda districts, and 26 new air temperature extremes were recorded.
In terms of precipitation, since records began, February was the fifth wettest, with 241.7 millimeters (mm), which represents more than three times (329%) the reference average (1991-2020).
In locations such as Mora, Lavradio (Barreiro) and Alvalade do Sado (Santiago do Cacém) rain fell five times more than normal.
Regarding the hydrological year, from October 1, 2025 to February 28, 2026, a total of 924 mm has been recorded, about 1.8 times the reference average.
So far, it is the wettest hydrological year in the last 30 years and the 6th wettest since 1931.
At the end of February all the municipalities of continental Portugal showed soil-water values above 60%. In the North, the interior Central region, and in some inland Alentejo municipalities, soil-water values were at saturation levels, approaching supersaturation in the northeast of Trás-os-Montes.
In the Azores, the month was characterized by severe weather events, with strong winds and rough seas, and in Madeira the average temperature was above normal and precipitation below normal.
