Hi @Crow, hi @vnlr, (although I think you are both gone now) and hi to anyone who may be reading this.
Good to see you again @akhliber, hope you are well.
Still hovering around the 40'sC here, and it's predicted to stay that way for a while, which is unusual, it doesn't normally get this hot for so long. Many houses here are not air-conditioned, and electricity is also very expensive, so the heat takes a big toll. The mad tourists are still out on the beaches, though.
Forest fires result from this kind of heat because there is no rainfall in summer anyway, and the fires have already started. Sad. :-(
CarrionCrow: Good morning. =)
A question for you - what is Portugal like during the winter months?
Down here in the south it is still sunny, just cooler, and at least there is sometimes rain, although we are in a drought situation at present. Days usually average around 5-6hours of sunshine in mid-winter, and average temps are around 16-20C (60'sF) - higher, of course, if you're in the sun.
Nights are chilly, but rarely below freezing. Down to 2 or 3C sometimes (mid 30'sF), but usually a little higher than that. But houses here are badly built; with tiled floors; not heated, and poorly insulated, so it is often way colder inside than out.
North of Portugal has a very different climate from the south, much cooler, much more rain.
Every now and then the huge storms roll in from the Atlantic, and sometimes stay with us for weeks, wild and wet; very noisy and very scary - waves of over 20m have been recorded. This is a popular surfing beach not far from us..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uf8_7h4Q03g and one of the biggest storms ever, north of here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtVQJCq2cCM http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2478575/Brazilian-surfer-set-new-World-Record-riding-100-foot-storm-wave-coast-Portugal.html http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/08/humongous-waves-portugal_n_4556045.html But all in all, a good place to head to in winter, at least most of northern Europe thinks so, and a large part of the UK as well. I'm surprised the continent doesn't tip.