Latest news and stories about climate impact in Portugal for expats and residents.
The data centres powering Artificial Intelligence (AI) consume enormous amounts of energy, but according to new research, they have another worrying effect: they create 'heat islands', increasing temperatures within a radius of up to ten kilometres.
A British study published in the scientific journal The Royal Society has raised an alert for Portugal: the country is part of a geographical area conducive to chikungunya outbreaks, a viral disease transmitted by the Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes. The study points to rising average temperatures in southern Europe, which includes Portugal, Spain, Greece, and Italy, as a factor favouring the proliferation of mosquitoes. Rivaldo Venâncio, a researcher and infectious disease specialist at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, explains the relationship between heat and increased rainfall with the reproductive cycle of the vectors. Since 2025, Fiocruz has established a base in Lisbon and has intensified partnerships with Portuguese scientific institutions. The Radar DN Brasil airs every Friday at 8 am on DN Brasil's YouTube and Spotify channels, providing a weekly summary and everything of interest to Brazilians in Portugal. DN Brasil is a section of Diário de Notícias dedicated to the Brazilian community living or intending to live in Portugal. The texts are written in Brazilian Portuguese.
Official data indicate that almost 90% of the world’s wetlands have been degraded since the 18th century and that wetland loss is three times greater than forest loss.
