Spain to face heatwave with temperatures expected to reach 44 °C
Climate change becomes more evident as record hot days become more prevalent, and Spain is no exception.
Spain is faced with its first heatwave of the year, and temperatures are expected to reach 44 °C in parts of the west and south.
Heatwaves have been defined as three, or more, consecutive days of temperatures above the average recorded for July and August from 1971-2000. Aemet, the Spanish meteorological office, has reported that heatwavesare are becoming more frequent and taking place earlier in the year than previously recorded.
Rubén del Campo, an Aemet spokesperson, stated that “we are facing unusually high temperatures for June.” Currently, the heatwave that resulted from the anti-cyclone Alex and very hot air above northern Africa is expected to last until next Tuesday in what has become the earlier record of a heatwave in Spain since 1981.
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Last year, Spain witnessed its hottest and driest summer on record. Temperatures reached an all time high of 47.4 °C in Montoro in the southern province of Córdoba. A 0.5 °C rise in average temperatures occurred between 1981-2010. Temperatures continued to increase since and as such, 2021 could have not been considered as a one off hot year, but rather the latest in a series.
An unusually early and severe heatwave is scorching different parts of #India, with millions facing severe power outages as demand for electricity reaches all-time highs. pic.twitter.com/aIAHwA7apC
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) May 3, 2022
According to Del Campo, it is the first time Spain witnessed “eight consecutive years with above-average temperatures,” adding, “There is a clear trend towards things getting hotter.”
Notably, hotter days have not been matched by colder days; 146 exceptionally hot days were recorded with only 14 exceptionally cold days recorded in parallel.
Given the above information, Spain’s department of health has cautioned people to stay inside as much as possible and avoid workouts during the hottest part of the day. People are also urged to avoid alcohol and drink water abundantly.