Portugal: 2008 – Second coldest year since 1990

Records released this week have indicated that last year was the coldest in 19 years, with the latter part of 2008 particularly cold. November was the third coldest since records began in the early 20th century.
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Between September 2007 and January 2008 temperatures were at their lowest since 1917. Rainfall during this period was also only 48 percent of the average between 1941 and 1998.

However, since records began, January 2008 was confirmed as the second hottest ever.

Portugal was, in 2006, singled out as being one of the European countries that will suffer most from global warming.

“The Mediterranean will see an increase in water shortages, heat waves and forest fires. Portugal, along with Spain and Italy, will be the hardest hit, which could result in a swing northwards in summer tourism”, it was explained in the Stern Review report.
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Earlier last year, experts at the Met Office predicted a scorching summer, but have since admitted that they got it wrong, while adding their forecasts can never be seen as being 100 percent certain.