A report by the Portuguese Met Office said 2017 was “extremely hot” with average air temperatures 1.1 degrees Celsius above normal values. The hottest year on record was in 1997, with the five hottest years all registered since the 1990’s. The maximum temperatures were however the highest in 2017, climbing to 2.4 degrees above existing averages and breaking the previous record set 20 years ago by one degree.