Weather agency debunks 'summers in Spain are always this hot' claim
Whenever Spain's Aemet weather agency or a news website warns of an upcoming heatwave or record temperatures in Spain, there's invariably a barrage of replies online saying something to the effect of 'It's always been hot in summer'.
This is of course true, very obvious, and in many cases quite a disingenuous claim.
These sorts of remarks are repeated over and over again as evidence against climate change (along with claims like 'fake news' and 'clickbait') and although it is of course true that temperatures are higher during summer in Spain, and that there have always been abnormal periods and heatwaves over the years, Spain's weather agency has now shown they have never consistently reached current levels, at least not since records began.
This has been confirmed by Spain's state meteorological agency Aemet in a social media post in which it debunks the claims with data.
Around a quarter of the replies and messages directed at Aemet on social media are insulting, humiliating and threatening, according to figures from the Social Inclusion journal, which may explain why the state body has taken to the internet to make its point.
Posting on X, Aemet stated that:
'It's always been hot in summer.'
Yes, but there is no precedent for a June as hot as this one. Just look at the anomaly graph.
And it's not an isolated case: between 2022 and 2024 there were 7 records of hot months. The last record for coldest month was in 2005.
With a graph showing average temperatures in Spain and the variations that have occurred in recent months, Aemet data shows that in most cases when weather anomalies occur they are towards higher or rising temperatures.
Take June, for example, which is already promising to be a record month. Aemet provided further data from June that adds to the list of records, especially for incidents of extreme weather and variation, such as the fact that on June 23rd, for example, Almería broke both its highest maximum and minimum temperatures record for the month, 40.9C and 27.1C, respectively.
According to Spain's System of Daily Mortality Monitoring (MoMo), from June 1st to 21st 114 people have died in Spain due to heat-related causes. The year with the highest rate of mortality due to heat-related causes was 2022, with 339.
As we approach July, the situation doesn't look likely to change, warns Aemet. The average temperature should be between 23C and 24C (an average of maximum and minimum temperatures), but the forecast is for it to be around 30C.
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Local Spain
2 days ago
- Local Spain
Weather agency debunks 'summers in Spain are always this hot' claim
Whenever Spain's Aemet weather agency or a news website warns of an upcoming heatwave or record temperatures in Spain, there's invariably a barrage of replies online saying something to the effect of 'It's always been hot in summer'. This is of course true, very obvious, and in many cases quite a disingenuous claim. These sorts of remarks are repeated over and over again as evidence against climate change (along with claims like 'fake news' and 'clickbait') and although it is of course true that temperatures are higher during summer in Spain, and that there have always been abnormal periods and heatwaves over the years, Spain's weather agency has now shown they have never consistently reached current levels, at least not since records began. This has been confirmed by Spain's state meteorological agency Aemet in a social media post in which it debunks the claims with data. Around a quarter of the replies and messages directed at Aemet on social media are insulting, humiliating and threatening, according to figures from the Social Inclusion journal, which may explain why the state body has taken to the internet to make its point. Posting on X, Aemet stated that: 'It's always been hot in summer.' Yes, but there is no precedent for a June as hot as this one. Just look at the anomaly graph. And it's not an isolated case: between 2022 and 2024 there were 7 records of hot months. The last record for coldest month was in 2005. With a graph showing average temperatures in Spain and the variations that have occurred in recent months, Aemet data shows that in most cases when weather anomalies occur they are towards higher or rising temperatures. Take June, for example, which is already promising to be a record month. Aemet provided further data from June that adds to the list of records, especially for incidents of extreme weather and variation, such as the fact that on June 23rd, for example, Almería broke both its highest maximum and minimum temperatures record for the month, 40.9C and 27.1C, respectively. According to Spain's System of Daily Mortality Monitoring (MoMo), from June 1st to 21st 114 people have died in Spain due to heat-related causes. The year with the highest rate of mortality due to heat-related causes was 2022, with 339. As we approach July, the situation doesn't look likely to change, warns Aemet. The average temperature should be between 23C and 24C (an average of maximum and minimum temperatures), but the forecast is for it to be around 30C.
Local Spain
4 days ago
- Local Spain
Heatwave to smother Spain as June likely to be hottest on record
Summer is beginning to take hold of much of Spain. The country's State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) has issued high temperature warnings in twelve regions for the coming days with temperatures expected to reach or exceed 40C in several parts of the country. Although stifling temperatures are already forecast for Thursday, the worst is yet to come. Forecasts point to a rise in temperatures over the weekend in particular, especially in the northeast and the Balearic Islands. Zaragoza, Lleida in Catalonia and Mallorca will be some of the most affected provinces, as temperatures between 38 and 40 degrees are expected, including tropical nights that will not drop below 25 C. In fact, the entire regions of Aragón, Catalonia and the Balearics have orange weather warnings. Aemet forecast indicates that the hottest cities in this final stretch of June could be Palma this Wednesday (39C), Córdoba on Thursday (38C) and Friday (41C), Seville on Saturday (43C) and Sunday (44C), and Lleida and Seville next Monday (43C). Additionally, temperatures will reach or exceed 40C over the weekend in Badajoz, Cáceres, Ciudad Real, Jaén, Madrid, Toledo, and Zaragoza. Other parts of such as Malaga, Albacete, Valencia, and Murcia will remain on yellow alert for extreme heat, indicating a moderate but real health risk, especially for vulnerable people, such as the elderly, children, and people with chronic illnesses. Aemet warns that the orange level poses an even higher health risk and recommends limiting sun exposure, hydrating frequently, and avoiding exercise during the peak hours of the day. According to Spain's System of Daily Mortality Monitoring (MoMo), from June 1st to 21st 114 people have died in Spain due to heat-related causes. Summer has already made itself felt throughout June but this looks set to be the first official heatwave of the summer given that we're past June 21st. There was also a period of very high temperatures in May but in order for it to be classified as a heatwave it must affect a certain amount of the country, last for several days and temperatures must surpass a certain threshold. This time, this looks set to happen. That's according to Aemet's official spokesperson Rubén del Campo, who predicts that it will almost certainly be 'the first heat wave of this summer' and that it will 'start on Saturday and perhaps last until the middle of next week.' This ola de calor, as a heatwave is called in Spanish, is what's led Aemet to state that 'June 2025 will, very probably be the hottest since records began'. The monthly temperature anomaly in mainland Spain is estimated to be around 3.7C . The highs (+4.2C) are even more extreme than the lows (+3.2°C), despite the fact that tropical nights have been a mainstay in both inland and coastal areas, aided by unprecedented Mediterranean Sea temperatures for this time of year. This affects millions of people in Andalusia, Madrid, Aragón and Catalonia, populous regions which are among the regions experiencing the most extreme temperatures.
Local Spain
09-06-2025
- Local Spain
How hot will this summer be in Spain?
Forecasts from Spain's meteorological experts indicate that we are entering yet another record-breaking summer. Spain's national weather agency Aemet has said that between June 1st and August 31st, the conditions point to the fact that it will be hotter than usual across the whole country. The Mediterranean coast and the islands stand out as the areas most likely to see above-average temperatures during this time. Aemet meteorologists indicate that during next three months, 60 percent of temperatures will be above normal in most of the peninsula, and 70 percent of temperatures will be hotter than usual in the Mediterranean area and the archipelagos. To reach these conclusions, experts at the national meteorology body have created hundreds of mathematical models based on thousands of factors, such as air and ocean temperatures and ambient humidity. From there, a rough outline of what the weather will be like over the coming months is provided, based on trends from each region. This year, the models have predicted that there is a 60 percent chance that it will be hotter than usual, a 30 percent chance that it will be in line with expectations, and a 10 percent chance that it will be colder than normal. Currently, Aemet is using the average recorded data between 1991 and 2020 as its reference period. This means that everything points to this summer being warmer compared to the average of the last thirty years. It will also be above the usual values of the 1960s, which is when meteorological records officially began in Spain. While it will be much warmer than normal, that doesn't necessarily mean that it will break all the records, however, or that it will be more extreme than the summer of 2022, which remains the hottest ever recorded in Spain. A a whole, 2023 was the second hottest year since records began while 2024 was the third hottest. It's worth noting though that in 2023, during the months of June, July and August 2023, 552 temperature records were broken across Spain for average, maximum and minimum temperatures, according to a study carried out by weather website And in 2024, heat records for April were broken, which saw summer-like temperatures in spring. This year, we have already seen a record-breaking May as mainland Spain experienced its hottest ever May 30th, with the average temperature surpassing 24C, according to Aemet. Experts indicate this is all likely due to climate change and global warming where summers are starting earlier than usual and reaching increasingly higher temperatures, causing more extreme heatwaves and lasting longer than normal too. The World Meteorological Organisation estimates that this trend will continue for at least the next five years, when new temperature records are expected to be broken across the planet.
