A report by Portugal's weather monitoring service says 79 per cent of the country is experiencing severe or extreme drought conditions after eight months of below-average rainfall.
The Portuguese Weather and Sea Institute said in a monthly report published Thursday that average rainfall in July was 3.5 millimeters. The usual amount for July is almost 14 millimeters.
July was also hotter than usual, with an average daytime temperature of 23.2 degrees Celsius (73.8 Fahrenheit) — 1 degree Celsius higher than the average reading taken since 1971.
The exceptionally dry winter and spring have increased the risk of forest fires.
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