Cold, rain and snow on high ground for Portugal on New Year's Eve

snowtyreRain, hail, lightning, snow, plunging temperatures; these are just some of the delights in store over the next few days leading up to New Year’s Eve, according to the brutally factual forecast put out today by the Portuguese Institute of Ocean and Atmosphere.

According to the IPMA, between December 27th and January 1st 'weather conditions in continental Portugal will be affected by a disturbed westerly air flow which is expected to bring successive fronts, with alternating masses of tropical and then polar air.’

So for tomorrow the IPMA predicts the periods of rain, strong in the Minho and Douro Litoral in the late afternoon, and on Saturday will there will be showers throughout the territory with and hail and thunder in the north and centre.

However, for those spending New Year´s Eve in the Algarve the news is good as the IPMA predicts a 65-95% probability of rain in the north and centre of the country, the Alentejo is less than 55%, and the Algarve has a mere 35% chance of rain on the day.

The situation remains perilous at sea with waves along the west coast of between 4 and 6 metres.