Climate zones in Portugal, 1991 to 2020
Share of Portugal's classified land in each Köppen-Geiger zone in 1991 to 2020. Zones under 0.05% are left out. The 136,718 map cells used cover 99% of the country's outline (about 90,421 km²).
By major group: C (temperate) 100%.
Csa, hot-summer mediterranean, is the main climate of Portugal, covering 61% of its classified land in 1991 to 2020, with Csb (warm-summer mediterranean) next at 38%. In plain terms, hot-summer mediterranean means dry, hot summers and mild, wetter winters. Under the middle-of-the-road scenario (SSP2-4.5), 32% of its land is projected to be in a different zone by 2071 to 2099, with the biggest gain going to Csa (hot-summer mediterranean).
How Portugal's zones have changed and may change
Each row compares a map with 1991 to 2020. "Share in a different zone" is the share of the country's area whose class is different from 1991 to 2020. Future rows are model projections under an emissions scenario, not forecasts.
| Map | Share in a different zone | Different major group | Biggest gain | Biggest loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1901 to 1930 (past) | 19% | 0% | Csa +18.1 percentage points | Csb -17.6 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP1-2.6 (low emissions) | 22% | 0% | Csa +21 percentage points | Csb -21 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 (middle of the road) | 32% | 0% | Csa +31.8 percentage points | Csb -31.7 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP5-8.5 (high emissions) | 39% | 1.1% | Csa +36.3 percentage points | Csb -36.9 percentage points |
For the past row, the comparison runs the other way: the 1901 to 1930 map against 1991 to 2020.
Zone shares by map
| Zone | 1901 to 1930 | 1991 to 2020 | SSP1-2.6 (2071 to 2099) | SSP2-4.5 (2071 to 2099) | SSP5-8.5 (2071 to 2099) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Csa Hot-summer Mediterranean | 42% | 61% | 82% | 92% | 97% |
| Csb Warm-summer Mediterranean | 56% | 38% | 17% | 6.6% | 1.4% |
| Cfb Temperate oceanic | 1.6% | 1.1% | 0.6% | 0.4% | 0.1% |
| Cfa Humid subtropical | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.5% | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) | - | - | - | - | 1.1% |
Percentages are of the country's classified land in each map. A dash means under 0.05%.
Zones found in Portugal
Data: Beck et al. (2023), CC BY 4.0; country outlines from Natural Earth. In 1901 to 1930 the most common zone was Csb. See data sources and licences.