The IPMA Meteorological Office said in its monthly bulletin issued at the beginning of May that during the period between 2 and 24 April, a series of very high temperatures were registered, well above what is considered normal for that time of the year.
The IPMA added that the highest temperature in April was registered at the Aljezur weather station in the Algarve, with a high of 32.9 degrees Celsius, followed by Mora in the Upper Alentejo, where a temperature of 32.8 degrees was recorded.
The record-breaking heat in April was felt over extended periods in northern and central Portugal, with the exception of coastal areas, while heatwaves were also registered in Lisbon, Santarém and Setúbal.
The IMPA said that the heatwaves, considering their duration and magnitude, were comparable only to April 1941.
And, with the prolonged heat came drought; April 2017 was the driest on record, with 40 percent of all weather stations failing to register any rainfall up until 29 April.
By the end of April, the amount of land mass affected by the drought had spread to 96 percent.
At the same time, national health authorities were drawing up measures against a surge in cases of Hepatitis A, and concerns were that summer festivals could fuel the spreading of the disease.
And Portugal was also gearing up for an Easter tourism treat, with the forecast being that hotel occupation rates would be be substantially better than 2016. Hopes were that 2017 would firmly underline the recovery of the tourism industry that is so vital to the national economy.