Spain breaks its sweltering August temperature record.
Records of high temperatures are becoming more frequent, and they don't stay at their peak values for long. Spain marked another high in August, with an average temperature of 25 degrees, as reported by the national weather service, Aemet. This was two degrees warmer than the typical temperature from 1991 to 2020, and even surpassed the August temperatures in the exceptionally hot years of 2003 and 2023. According to Aemet's statement on the platform X, Spain's average temperature for the entire year of 2024 is expected to be about 15.8 degrees, matching the record set in 2022. This means that 2020, 2022, and 2024 would be the three hottest years on record for Spain, emphasized Aemet.
Heat record in the Mediterranean
Many people escape the heat by heading to the beaches and seeking relief in the sea. However, climate change is often disrupting these plans. A heatwave raised the temperature of the Mediterranean off Mallorca, a popular spot for German vacationers, to bathwater temperatures. A buoy located southwest of the island measured a water temperature of 31.87 degrees, breaking the previous record set less than a year ago.
Decrease in forest fires, heat-related deaths
Despite the heat, there is some positive news. Comparatively less land was scorched by forest fires in August than in the same period of the previous year, with a decrease of 46 percent, according to Elena Hernández from the organization dedicated to forest fire prevention. Since 80 percent of forest fires are caused by human activities, Hernández attributed this year's decrease to increased awareness in society. More rainfall in the first half of the year also reduced the risk of forest fires because the risk is higher in areas that were previously quite dry and where the soil and vegetation had been dried out.
The number of heat-related deaths in Spain has also decreased. Last year, the National Center for Epidemiology of the Carlos III Health Institute estimated over 7,700 heat-related deaths. By the end of August this year, the institute revised that estimate to just over 3,000, citing a cooler start to the summer and more cautious behavior from at-risk populations as reasons.
Now, temperatures in large parts of Spain have returned to more comfortable levels, with rain, wind, and temperatures around 20 degrees forecast for much of the country.
The Mediterranean Sea, adjacent to Mallorca, experienced unusually high temperatures during a heatwave, with a buoy measuring a water temperature of 31.87 degrees, surpassing the previous record set only about a year ago. Despite the heat, the number of heat-related deaths in Spain has decreased significantly, with the National Center for Epidemiology of the Carlos III Health Institute revising the estimate for 2023 to just over 3,000, as compared to over 7,700 estimated for the previous year.
