“As a consequence of the exceptionally hot weather that is affecting Madeira, since the 26th of June [Monday], extreme values ​​of maximum surface air temperature have been reached, having broken some records, both in relation to the month of June or in relation to the year”, says the IPMA in a statement.

Thus, on Tuesday, a new absolute value of 39.1 degrees was recorded at the meteorological station of Quinta Grande, in the west of the island, surpassing the previous value of 39.0 degrees, recorded at the meteorological station of Sanatório do Monte on 10 August 1976, a classic station shut down in 1988.

“The absolute maximum temperature for Madeira is now 39.1 degrees”, says the IPMA.

On Tuesday, a new maximum temperature extreme for the month of June was also recorded at the Porto Santo Airport meteorological station – 31.3 degrees –, with the previous value – 30.5 degrees – dating from June 14, 1983.

In Santana, on the north coast of the island of Madeira, a new extreme maximum temperature was also recorded for the month of June – 32.8 degrees, dating the previous record to 14 June 1983.

At the Meteorological Observatory station, in Funchal, the maximum temperature value of 38.7 degrees, recorded on the 27th of June, also surpassed the extreme value of 38.5 degrees, verified on the 10th of August 1976, constituting a new absolute maximum.

“It is also important to note that this exceptionally hot weather situation results in the joint action of an anticyclone northeast of the Azores archipelago, which extends in a ridge to the Bay of Biscay, and a low-pressure valley between North Africa and the Iberian Peninsula.”, clarifies the IPMA.

The communiqué adds that this configuration of the large centres of action is at the origin of the transport of hot and dry air mass to the Madeira archipelago, and the subsidence of the air, the local wind and the physiography of the islands of Madeira and Porto Santo led to significantly different air temperature values ​​between locations.

For example, the maximum temperature in Caniçal, at the eastern end of Madeira, did not exceed 25.9 degrees and in Pico do Areeiro, in the mountains overlooking Funchal, it was 24.4 degrees.

On Tuesday, the IPMA placed the south coast of Madeira under a red warning due to hot weather, while the north coast, mountainous regions and the island of Porto Santo were under an orange warning.

Today a yellow warning is in force in the archipelago, with the exception of the highlands, which are without alerts.