Hot Spot: Spring heat wave scorches Spain
Spain saw abnormally high temperatures this week as people adapted to summer-like heat. Experts have blamed climate change for the extreme weather event
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Spain has been experiencing unseasonal record heat this week that peaked on Thursday and Friday. The scorching heatwave has led the country to witness 10-15 degrees Celsius warmer temperatures than expected for April. AP
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The mercury climbed to a record 39 degrees Celsius in parts of Andalucía on Friday (28 April), while it had touched 38.8 degrees Celsius across the country a day earlier. The unusually high temperatures this week prompted the government to urge people to take extra care. Reuters
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The high spring temperatures in Spain are a result of a mass of very hot air from Africa moving across the Iberian peninsula and the Balearic island. As per BBC, hot weather covering North Africa is sending heat into Europe. Reuters
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Commenting on the spring heat in Spain, Cayetano Torres, a spokesman for Spain’s meteorological office, told BBC News, “This is not normal. Temperatures are completely out of control this year”. Moreover, the Rubén del Campo, a spokesperson for Spain’s state meteorological agency – Aemet, told The Guardian that the country recorded below average precipitation in April. Reuters
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These abnormally high temperatures are bad news for Spain which has been reporting drought since last January, hitting water reservoirs across the country. Since October, the Iberian Peninsula has seen 25 per cent plunge in rainfall, with 2022 being one of Spain’s driest year on record. Reuters
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Several measures have been taken by authorities to bring some relief amid the soaring temperatures. While schools have been allowed to change their timetables, Madrid is likely to open public swimming pools a month earlier than usual. Reuters
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The city of Seville, which is holding the annual traditional April Fair, has seen visitors using umbrellas or taking shade in tents. These extreme temperatures this early in the year have led to concerns of return of wildfires, which had burned hundreds of thousands of hectares of land in Spain last year. AP
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People in Spain have been asked to stay hydrated and ensure care for vulnerable people such as children and the elderly. Experts have also expressed concern about the impact of the unusually high temperatures on the poor. AP
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Experts have attributed the abnormal heat wave to climate change. “Europe is warming at twice the global rate and we know because there is a higher rate of warming, there’s a higher probability of extreme events. And those extreme events include heat waves”, Dr Samantha Burgess from the Copernicus climate change service told BBC News. AP
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Spain is expected to witness some respite from hot temperatures this weekend. However, the mercury can rise once again from next Tuesday, Del Campo told The Guardian. Reuters
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