Iberians hit the beaches as temperatures rise 10 deg C above normal

Temperatures more often experienced in summer months were being recorded in April. PHOTO: REUTERS

BILBAO/LISBON – People in Bilbao in north-western Spain normally spend April dodging the showers, but on April 13 many hit the beach as temperatures were up to 10 deg C above normal.

The Portuguese were also hitting the beach near Lisbon as temperatures rose to as high as 29 deg C.

Many people swopped umbrellas for ice creams as temperatures reached 21 deg C in Bilbao and were expected to hit 27 deg C elsewhere on April 14, Aemet, Spain’s weather forecasting agency said.

“Temperatures, both on Saturday and Sunday, will be between 5 and 10 deg C higher than normal in much of the country, and between 10 and 15 deg C (higher) in the northern third of the peninsula and the Canary Islands,” Aemet said in a post on social media site X.

Temperatures more often experienced in summer months were being recorded in April, Aemet said.

In Portugal, temperatures were also higher than usual for this time of the year, according to weather agency IPMA on April 13.

In the central region of Santarem, temperatures are expected to reach 31 deg C.

However, by next week, temperatures in much of Spain will dip again, particularly in northern Spain, Aemet said. REUTERS

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.