Spain recorded its warmest January last month since current records began in 1961, Spain’s National Weather Service Emmet said on Wednesday, with temperatures approaching 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) in some areas.
Amemet said in a statement that the average temperature in mainland Spain in January 2024 was 8.4 degrees Celsius, 2.4 degrees higher than the average for the same period and 0.4 degrees higher than the previous record set in 2016.
In January, temperatures reached 20 degrees Celsius or higher at nearly 400 weather stations, nearly half of the country.
Temperatures rose to 29.5 degrees Celsius in eastern Valencia, 28.5 degrees Celsius in Murcia in the southeast, and 27.8 degrees Celsius near Malaga in the south, temperatures typically seen in June.
Unseasonably warm winter weather last month drew people to beaches and outdoor cafes across Spain, delayed the start of the ski season and worsened a years-long drought in the northeastern region of Catalonia and southern Andalusia.
The Catalan government last week declared a state of drought emergency for much of Spain’s second city Barcelona and its surrounding areas, paving the way for tighter water use restrictions after three years without heavy rain.
Andalusia is also suffering from severe drought, with regional authorities warning that water restrictions will be needed in Seville and Malaga this summer if rain does not return.
Andalusia and Catalonia are the two most populous regions of Spain. Both are preparing to import fresh water by boat if necessary.
“We are facing a very complex situation,” Agriculture Minister Luis Planas told reporters after news of the temperature record.
“Spaniards are well aware that climate change is here,” he added.
January “was a wet month overall, but the distribution of rainfall was very uneven, with the least rain falling in the places that needed it the most,” said Ruben Dell, a spokesman for Emet.・Mr. Campo said.
Experts say climate change caused by human activities is increasing the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events such as heat waves, droughts and wildfires.
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