Portugal has begun autumn under a heatwave, with temperatures reaching 38C, according to Correio da Manhã. The report, published on Saturday, 19 September 2026, describes the hot spell as marking the opening of the season.
The Portuguese weather agency IPMA has widened its yellow warning to cover nine districts because of the heat, RTP reports. Euronews had earlier said the country was preparing for rising temperatures and a likely heatwave.
O MINHO reported that maximum temperatures would climb from that day, announcing four days of intense heat. The warnings and forecasts together point to a sustained hot period rather than a single warm day.
The timing is notable because the heat arrived with the start of autumn rather than at the height of summer. A yellow warning is the lower of IPMA's alert levels, but its extension to nine districts indicates the agency expects the conditions to affect a broad part of the country. The coverage also reflects public interest in how long the hot weather will last and where conditions will be most severe.
With several days of high temperatures expected, the coming period will show whether IPMA extends or upgrades its warnings, and whether the heat eases as autumn settles in.