Spain cooks: the earliest heat wave with 40 degrees shakes the country!

Spain cooks: the earliest heat wave with 40 degrees shakes the country!

Sevilla, Spanien - Spain is currently experiencing one of the earliest heat waves for many years. With high summer temperatures and heat warnings of the state weather service Aemet for Andalusia and parts of Catalonia, the dramatic weather is particularly evident in Seville, where values ​​above 40 degrees were reached on Thursday. Also in Ourense, Galicia, 37 degrees were measured, while Catalonia recorded the first "tropical" nights with temperatures above 20 degrees.

This intense heat wave is caused by hot and dry air masses from Africa. At the same time, other regions of Spain receive storm and thunderstorm warnings, including Asturias, Cantabria, Kastilien-León and the Basque Country. These extreme weather events are part of a larger climate change phenomenon, which is noticeable by more frequent and more intensive weather extremes. According to Costa Nachrichten , climate change in Spain is shown by continuous increase as well of weather events.

historical weather conditions

The March 2023 was particularly striking, in which intensive rains and cold temperatures predominated. In the first nine days of the month, as much rain fell as a rain as normally throughout the month, which has led to one of the most rainy March of the past 60 years. These rains ended the drought that has been going on since 2021 and led over 100 percent filled reservoirs, even if the Segura pool in Murcia is an exception with a level level of only a good 30 percent. The total memory of the reservoirs in Spain is currently over 77 percent, which corresponds to 11 percentage points more than in the previous year and almost 14 percentage points above the 10-year average.

In the coming months, however, the Costa Blanca water shortage could occur, which could have a negative impact on tourist destinations such as Benidorm. The extreme weather phenomena in Spain, such as floods and forest fires, are due to global global warming and their effects on local weather conditions.

global and regional trends

climate change has increasingly reinforced in Europe and especially in Spain. According to the European State of the Climate Report 2023, the heat wave in Europe is considered "Beyond Extreme". With an increase in average temperatures by 2.6 degrees Celsius over the pre -industrial level, Europe has been the warmest year since the start of the recordings. This development can have serious consequences for health, agriculture and ecosystems. Experts warn of increased forest fires and water shortages, which can already be observed in various regions of the continent.