It’s usually around 17 degrees in Málaga in mid-December. But recently almost 30 degrees were measured – a new record for mainland Spain. Without climate change, such temperatures would be “much less likely,” experts say.
Spain has experienced a new heat record for December at 29.9 degrees Celsius. The temperature was lower, according to the National Weather Service Aemet measured on Tuesday in the southern Spanish city of Málaga on the Mediterranean.
The previous highest temperature on the Spanish mainland for December was measured in 2010 in the city of Granada, which, like Malaga, is in the southern Andalusia region. At that time the thermometer showed 29.4 degrees.
It looks like late summer, but the picture is actually from mid-December. A view of Malaga beach.
Number of heat waves tripled
Commenting on the new record, Aemet said such temperatures would be “much less likely” without the climatic changes being observed around the world and in Spain. According to the information, the number of heat waves has tripled in Spain over the past ten years.
A spokesman for Aemet said that 27 degrees were also measured in the city of Valencia. That is two degrees above the previous maximum recorded in the region in December.
Effects on meltwater
According to the spokesman, there will likely be significantly less snow in many areas than usual due to the heat. Spain’s national weather service forecasts sparse rainfall until the end of February. It is feared that this combination will have an impact on the amounts of meltwater in spring and summer.
The weather service expects that the exceptional heat wave should end by Thursday and that temperatures will then fall back to values that are common in southern Spain in December.