MADRID/LISBON – Spain grappled on Jan 25 with unusually warm temperatures for a winter month as a mass of hot air pushed the mercury to just shy of 30 deg C in some regions.
Temperatures reached or exceeded 20 deg C at nearly 400 meteorological stations, almost half the country’s total, said Mr Ruben del Campo, spokesman for national weather agency Aemet. Writing on X, formerly Twitter, he called the figures an “anomaly”.
The mercury rose to 29.5 deg C in the eastern region of Valencia, 28.5 deg C in Murcia in the south-east and 27.8 deg C near Malaga in the south – temperatures usually seen in June, not January.
Overnight temperatures have also been warmer than normal.
The mercury did not drop below 10 deg C overnight on Jan 24 in the small ski resort of Puerto de Navacerrada near Madrid. It is 1,900m above sea level and is normally covered in snow at this time of year.
The winter heat, which has also affected south-east France, was caused by the presence of a powerful anticyclone above the Mediterranean, said Mr David Corell, a researcher at the University of Valencia.
“There are no studies yet that have evaluated the long-term trend of this type of event, but it is clear that we are experiencing this type of abnormal situation more and more frequently,” he told AFPTV.
Spain also recorded unusually high temperatures in December, with the mercury peaking at 29.9 deg C in Malaga, a national record for the month.
The heat comes amid a prolonged drought affecting much of the country, especially the north-east region of Catalonia and the south-west region of Andalusia.
In the Catalan capital of Barcelona, Spain’s second-largest city, water reservoir levels fell in mid-January to around 17 per cent of their capacity.
If they fall below 16 per cent of their capacity – which could be imminent – the region will declare a state of emergency.
In neighbouring Portugal, the air warmed up the most in the central district of Leiria, reaching 23 deg C, and the weather agency IPMA expected 24 deg C there on Jan 26. In the north, temperatures were 8 deg C to 9 deg C above normal levels, it said.
“I think it’s because of climate change,” French tourist Jane Dubois told Reuters while standing by the River Tagus in Lisbon. “It’s our future, so we have to protect the planet.”
Mr Fabio Silvestre from Italy, who was visiting Lisbon with his small daughter, echoed the climate concerns: “I am a bit worried about my daughter... The weather is not normal like this.”
As global temperatures rise because of climate change, scientists have warned that heatwaves will become more frequent and more intense. AFP, REUTERS
