Spain's AEMET weather agency said this was also the second time the country had experienced a dry spring, after a drought in 1995 that affected the agricultural sector.
Spain has experienced its hottest spring on record. Photo: AP
Spain, which recorded 2022 as its hottest year on record, is predicted to be one of the EU countries worst affected by climate change.
AEMET reported that the average temperature this past spring in the country was "14.2 degrees Celsius, 1.8 degrees Celsius higher than normal... This was 0.3 degrees Celsius higher than the spring of 1997 and was the hottest spring so far".
In late April, Spain suffered a major heatwave with local temperatures up to 20 degrees Celsius above average, exacerbating the drought.
May started with slightly above average temperatures, then dropped below average in the second half of the month, with heavy rainfall helping to alleviate drought conditions.
In recent years, Spain has experienced more heatwaves and increasingly scarce and irregular rainfall.
Last year, AEMET recorded “a record 35 days of heat, with temperatures above the seasonal average”. Experts say the drought is causing some farmers to decide not to plant this year.
The lack of rain is a disaster for agriculture in Spain, the world's largest olive oil exporter and the European Union's biggest fruit and vegetable producer.
Spain's reservoirs, which normally store rainwater for use in drier months, are currently below 50% full, well below the 10-year average of around 68%.
AEMET said all signs point to summer 2023 also being hotter than normal. “There is a high likelihood that this summer will be hotter than normal across the country,” AEMET warned, but said it was unlikely to be higher than 2022.
Hoang Nam (according to AFP)
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