October 2025: the 2nd warmest since records began in mainland Portugal and the 3rd warmest Globally

Global

According to data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), October 2025 was the 3rd warmest ever recorded globally, with an average surface air temperature of 15.14°C, i.e. +0.70°C above the 1991-2020 climatological normal for the month. This value was -0.16°C lower than that of October 2023, the warmest on record, and -0.11°C lower than that of October 2024. Compared with pre-industrial levels, October 2025 was +1.55°C warmer.

In the most recent continuous 12-month period, from November 2024 to October 2025, the global average temperature was +0.62°C above the 1991-2020 normal and +1.50°C above pre-industrial levels.

Europe

According to C3S data, the average temperature over European territory in October 2025 was 10.19°C, which is +0.60°C above the 1991-2020 climatological normal for this month, ranking outside the top 10 warmest Octobers on record.

The highest temperature anomalies were recorded over the Fennoscandia region and in the southern Iberian Peninsula. Central Europe and south-eastern Europe experienced, on average, below-normal temperatures for the time of year.

Mainland Portugal

October 2025 was classified as very warm in terms of air temperature and dry in terms of precipitation.

Air Temperature

It was the 2nd warmest October since 1931, with a monthly mean air temperature of 19.00°C, which is +2.21°C above the 1991–2020 normal (the highest was in 2017 with 19.57°C).

• Maximum air temperature: 4th highest since 1931; the monthly mean maximum was 24.57°C, with an anomaly of +2.61°C (highest in 2017 with 27.11°C).
• Minimum air temperature: 6th highest since 1931; the monthly mean minimum was 13.42°C, +1.80°C above the normal (highest in 2006 with 13.95°C).
• Throughout the month, maximum, mean, and minimum temperatures remained above the monthly average: maximum temperatures until October 19th and minimum temperatures until October 25th.
• A noteworthy event was the heatwave from 10-19 October, affecting around 60% of meteorological stations, covering the North, Central, and Alto Alentejo regions.
• In minimum temperature, the period from 19-24 October stands out, with anomalies between +2.5°C and +5.5°C above average. During this period, new records of highest minimum temperature were set in Portel and Mértola.

Precipitation

• The monthly total precipitation in October was 86.9 mm, corresponding to 79% of the 1991-2020 climatological average.
• The end of the month was marked by high daily precipitation totals:
  • on 28 and 29 October in the Lisbon area and the Algarve,
  • on 31 October in the northern coastal region and central Portugal.
• Four new records of highest daily precipitation were set on October 29th.

Meteorological Drought

• There was a reduction in meteorological drought in the northen and central regions.
• However, drought intensity increased in the centre-south and south.
• There was an increase in the area under moderate drought in the districts of Portalegre and Castelo Branco and the emergence of severe drought in Évora and Beja.
• On 31 October, 66% of the territory was experiencing meteorological drought, from weak to severe intensities.

Click here to have acess to the climate bulletin for october 2025 (portuguese version only):
https://www.ipma.pt/resources.www/docs/im.publicacoes/edicoes.online/20250918/ZcafqRKykNSKqDFJmsEK/cli_20250801_20250831_pcl_mm_co_pt.pdf

Figure 1. Anomalies of temperature (850hPa), wind (850hPa) and geopotential (500hPa), in October 2025. Source: C3S/ERA5