Spain hit by summer-strength heat in April, some areas driest in 1,000 years
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Umbrellas, fans and hats are seen at street stalls in Seville as Spain braces itself for an early heatwave.
PHOTO: AFP
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SEVILLE – An unusually early heatwave in drought-hit Spain was set to peak on Thursday and Friday, with temperatures expected to break April records in the south of the country.
Experts have warned of the high risk of wildfires,
Since Monday, Spain has been enveloped by a mass of warm, dry air from North Africa that has driven up temperatures to “levels normally seen in summer and exceptionally high for this time of year”, said Spain’s state weather agency Aemet.
“It’s highly likely (the heatwave) will peak on Thursday and Friday,” it added, acknowledging many temperature records had already been beaten on Wednesday.
On Friday, preliminary data showed the mercury rising to 38.8 deg C in Cordoba in the southern Andalusia region, 0.1 deg C hotter than the day before.
Scorching temperatures have prompted warnings about the high risk of wildfires. Spain has already seen fire ravage 54,000ha of land so far in 2023, compared with 17,000ha in the same period in 2022.
Experts say parts of the country are the driest in a thousand years, with a prolonged drought depleting reservoirs to half their normal capacity, figures show.
On Wednesday, at least three areas around the southern cities of Seville and Huelva recorded temperatures of 37 deg C.
Schools adapt schedules
This could be Spain’s hottest April on record, said Mr Ruben del Campo, a spokesman for Aemet.
“Due to its intensity and early character, this episode fits with what we are observing climate change causes,” he added.
The Health Ministry has recommended that Spain’s regions activate their heat plans – which outline measures to protect people from scorching temperatures.
That normally happens from June 1, but the ministry said that in 2023 they could come into effect as early as May 15, depending on the situation in each region.
The regional government of Madrid said metro trains in the Spanish capital would pass more frequently than usual to prevent long waits on platforms and crowding.
It is also considering opening some public swimming pools earlier in the year to help people cool off, and let schools adapt their timetables to avoid the worst of the heat.
Farmland ‘suffocating’
The heatwave follows an abnormally warm and dry spring, spelling catastrophe for the agriculture sector in Spain, the world’s biggest exporter of olive oil and a key source of Europe’s fruit and vegetables.
The situation is so bad that some farmers have opted not to plant crops. The COAG farmers’ union has warned that 60 per cent of farmland was “suffocating” from lack of rainfall.
Spain on Tuesday urged Brussels to activate the bloc’s agriculture crisis reserve to help farmers cope with the exceptional drought, while also announcing a series of tax breaks.
In 2022, Spain experienced its hottest year since records began,
The number of days with summer temperatures in Spain has increased from 90 to 145 between 1971 and 2022, according to a study by the Polytechnic University of Catalonia published on Tuesday.
Portugal was also feeling the heat with temperatures “10 to 15 deg C higher than normal” that could hit 37 deg C on Thursday, the weather institute said, a day after the mercury touched 35.4 deg C in the south. AFP
