Friday 28 April 2023

Spain breaks temperature records for April

Spain saw its records broken for temperatures last week.

The country experienced 38.8°C on Thursday, eclipsing any temperature for April since records began.

That’s according to the Spanish Meteorological Agency (AEMET), which said the heat peaked in Cordoba in the south of Spain.

The nation has adapted to the weather, allowing schools to change their days based on how hot it is and more trains being available in the Madrid underground to stop wait times.

The AEMET has warned that heat from North Africa has pushed its way into Europe – with the origins linked to climate change.

Dr Samantha Burgess from Copernicus concurred with this view, stating: “We know that 2022 was the second warmest year on record for Europe, and it was the warmest summer on record.

“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.”

Last year Spain was the country which had the most land burned from drought and wildfires in Europe.

The AEMET’s spokesperson Cayetano Torres concluded: “This is not normal. Temperatures are completely out of control this year.”