Fiona Govan
SPAIN suffered its hottest July in more than six decades, confirmed the national meteorological office on Monday.
Data published by AEMET showed that the average temperature across Spain during July was 25.6ºC a whopping 2.7ºC higher than the average from records dating back to 1961.
The highest temperature in July was recorded in Andalucia in the town of Moron de la Frontera where mercury hit 46ºC on July 24 during the second official heatwave of the summer.
That heatwave, which sizzled Spain from July 9 until July 26 was described as ” the most intense, the most extensive and the second longest” ever recorded in Spain.
Aemet analysis also revealed that this year the months of May, June and July have been the warmest on record surpassing even the average temperature for the June/July/August.
It warned that this could herald the early arrival of summer as a norm.
It has also been one of the driest months of July with the least rainfall in the last 15 years.
As a result of this extreme heat and drought, Spain has set to suffer its worst year of wildfires on record.
According to the European Forest Fire Information System some 240,000 hectares had already been scorched in more than 370 blazes by the end of July.
READ MORE:
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- Spain’s winemakers battle to save harvest as heatwaves and drought takes toll
- FOCUS: How Spain is on track for the most devastating summer of fires on record
