Spain registered its hottest spring on record this year, and its second driest ever, the state meteorological agency said yesterday.
Rubén Del Campo, spokesman for the Aemet weather agency, said the latest data showed a continuation of the extremely high temperatures the country suffered in 2022, which was the hottest year ever recorded in Spain.
The spring heat was accompanied by a scarcity of rain that will exacerbate Spain’s long-term drought, despite some rainfall over the last month. Spain’s Ecological Transition Ministry reported that the country’s reservoirs are at 47.4% of their capacity, consolidating a downward trend.
Del Campo also issued predictions for the summer ahead, which he said would likely be “extremely hot,” though with a probability of some rainstorms. The Aemet spokesman said it was not clear that the El Niño weather phenomenon would contribute to the expected high temperatures in Spain. El Niño is a cyclical warming of the world’s oceans and weather, which is forecast to return later this year.
The Spanish government announced 2.2 billion euros worth of drought response measures last month, including funding for urban water reuse and further aid for struggling farmers.
