- According to the country’s weather agency, Spain experienced the hottest spring on record and the second driest on record.
- The scorching temperatures observed this year follow the trend of exceptionally high temperatures in 2022, which was Spain’s hottest year on record.
- The Spanish government has allocated US$2.4 billion for drought-fighting measures, including support for urban water reuse and help for farmers facing challenges.
Spain had its hottest spring on record this year and the second driest on record, the state weather agency said on Wednesday.
Rubén Del Campo, spokesman for weather agency Aemet, said the latest data showed a continuation of the extremely high temperatures the country suffered in 2022, the hottest year on record in Spain.
The spring heat has been accompanied by a lack of rain which, despite some rainfall last month, will only exacerbate Spain’s long-standing drought. Spain’s Ministry of Ecological Transition reported on Tuesday that the country’s reservoirs were at 47.4% of capacity, solidifying a downward trend.
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Del Campo identified repercussions for the Mediterranean country’s ecosystem. “Surface water temperatures recorded in 2022 were the highest since at least 1940,” he told a news conference, warning that the phenomenon is threatening marine life and its ability to reproduce.
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A woman holds an umbrella to protect herself from the sun on a hot, sunny day in Madrid, Spain, July 18, 2022.
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Inland, too, the situation became much more precarious. “These high temperatures are impacting both human health and ecosystems, and increasing the likelihood of wildfires,” the spokesman added.
Del Campo also provided forecasts for the coming summer, which he said would likely be “extremely hot,” albeit with the likelihood of some rainstorms. The Aemet spokesman said it was not clear if the El Niño weather phenomenon would contribute to the expected high temperatures in Spain. El Niño is a cyclical warming of the world’s oceans and weather that is expected to occur again later this year.
The Spanish government last month announced $2.4 billion in drought-fighting measures, including funding for urban water reuse and further aid to struggling farmers.
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Spain is Europe’s leading producer and exporter of fresh fruit and vegetables. Given the gloomy forecasts for this year’s harvest, the country applied for emergency aid from the European Union in April.