Although it is officially still winter, millions of people in Spain are already groaning at temperatures that sometimes exceed 30 degrees. Many seek cooling on the busy beaches. And: in some regions, the air conditioning was already running at the weekend.
In Spain, the weather lures you to the sea in such a way that it can sometimes be difficult to spread out your own towel on the beach. True to the motto: summer is here – and that in mid-March. In Mallorca there was already the first tropical night of the year. From Saturday to Sunday, minimum temperatures in areas of the popular holiday island – such as in Palma – were above 20 degrees.
Snow chaos two weeks ago
Just two weeks ago, Mallorca was still struggling with snow chaos. “Early Summer in Late Winter!” was the headline in the “Mallorca Magazin”. At these temperatures it is already difficult to fall asleep, experts told the Mallorcan newspaper “Última Hora”. “Why is it so hot now?” Many complain online. Some even left the air conditioning on at night. Human-induced climate change is suddenly back on everyone’s lips.
The Portopí weather station in Palma recorded 27.3 degrees on Saturday at 2 p.m., the highest temperature in March since measurements began. According to the Spanish weather service Aemet, the previous record of 26.6 degrees was measured in 1981.
March records were also broken elsewhere on Saturday. In Castellón in the Valencia region, the mercury column even reached the mark of 30.8 – 0.6 degrees above the previous high. On Sunday it became a bit “cooler” – but with values still rising to 30 degrees, for example in Murcia. According to Aemet, it will remain warm in many places in the coming days.
In general, the climate in Spain, as in other parts of Europe, has been getting hotter and drier for years, which has been attributed to climate change. Heat and lack of rain hit parts of the continent hard last year. With peak temperatures sometimes exceeding 40 degrees, it was one of the warmest years in Spain since weather records began.
High risk of wildfires
Due to the lack of rain in parts of Spain in autumn and winter, the water shortage is getting worse. The reservoirs are currently on average just over 40 percent full. The average over the past ten years at this time of year was 58 percent. The risk of serious forest fires also remains high.
Severe drought
The situation in Andalusia and Catalonia is dramatic. The reservoirs there are only about a quarter full. In Catalonia in the northeast of the country with the metropolis of Barcelona, water consumption in agriculture and industry is therefore already limited.
In parks and gardens, only trees may be watered. If the rain stops, the head of the regional water board, Samuel Reyes, expects restrictions on private drinking water consumption from the autumn, he told the newspaper “El País”.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
