After a week of mild and dry weather, rain is set to return. According to the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and the Atmosphere (IPMA), the week of October 17th to 23rd will be marked by wetter and hotter days, when compared to usual for this time of year, with temperatures up to 6 °C above average.

At the start of the week, rain is expected, “which may be persistent and/or occasionally strong in the northern regions”, as well as wind, “especially in the highlands and on the west coast”.

“Throughout the week, the most likely scenario will be the occurrence of precipitation, especially in the North and Center regions”.

Temperatures should vary throughout the week, but the maximum should not exceed 32°C in the Alentejo, Tagus Valley, Sado and Guadiana regions. In turn, the minimum temperature may reach 18°C, in some places along the coast and in the regions south of the Tagus valley.

Copernicus, the European Union's Earth Observation program, has also issued an alert that the Iberian Peninsula - and, specifically, the Portuguese territory - could be affected by a new wave of dust from the Sahara "in the coming days".

"According to the aerosol forecast by the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, a new storm is likely to affect the Iberian Peninsula in the coming days," reads the warning issued by the same source.