Spain Battles Most Severe August Heatwave on Record
(MENAFN) Spain is grappling with its most severe August heatwave ever documented, the State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) reported Sunday, citing unprecedented temperature spikes and devastating impacts.
Preliminary figures reveal that average temperatures from August 3 to 18 soared 4.6 degrees Celsius above the seasonal average, eclipsing the previous high of 4.5 degrees Celsius recorded in July 2022.
AEMET highlighted that the period between August 8 and 17 was the hottest 10-day stretch since at least 1950, while the initial 20 days of August registered the highest temperatures for that timeframe since 1961. Notably, August 11, 16, and 17 rank among Spain’s 10 hottest days since records began in 1941.
Since 1975, Spain has endured 77 heatwaves, with six pushing temperatures over 4 degrees Celsius above average—five of which have occurred since 2019. This signals a clear trend toward more frequent and intense heat events.
Tragically, the government’s Daily Mortality Monitoring System attributes 1,149 deaths to this year’s extreme heatwaves.
The heatwave’s severity coincided with Spain’s worst wildfire month on record. The European Forest Fire Information System reports that 406,100 hectares—an area roughly 5.5 times the size of Singapore—have been scorched.
These fires have resulted in four fatalities and displaced over 30,000 residents. While most evacuees have returned, numerous wildfires remain active as of Sunday.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the
information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept
any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images,
videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information
contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright
issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
