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Local Spain
2 days ago
- Climate
- 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
- Climate
- 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.
