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A polar air mass circulating in an anticyclone over the British Isles last week has resulted in temperatures in Portugal plummeting down to extreme lows.

The bitterly cold weather has also put the country to the test, as heating equipment sold out in many shops, heating gas has two-week waiting lists and firewood delivery companies were working flat out in most parts of the country.

In the middle of the week, thirteen of Portugal’s eighteen districts were handed meteorological warnings due to the cold snap, with Braga being the worst affected district as temperatures dropped to as low as -7ºC.

Shops in Lisbon could not keep up with demand for heaters and homeowners in several regions were unable to buy heating gas as waiting lists grew exponentially.

Despite the freezing temperatures, no snow was recorded in any areas under 500 metres altitude and the lack of wind eased the burden on the nation.

The cold weather drew attention to the fact that buildings in Portugal are unable to cope with extreme weather as thermal insulation is often very poor and heating facilities are below average.

Many schools were unable to deal with the unpleasant weather, forcing students and teachers to wear jackets and gloves during classes.
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Heavy investments have also been made to improve thermal insulation in hospitals, but many staff still complain about the drastic temperature changes in different rooms of the same hospital. It is in these areas where improvement is most needed, as Emergency Services were inundated with thousands of flu cases this week, reaching around 32,000 people a day, according to Mário Carreira, the National Health Board’s supervisor of Emergency Services.

Although there is no direct association between the cold weather and flu, elderly people, babies and the chronically ill were warned by the National Health Board to take extreme precautions during the week.