“Driest and Hottest April in Spain Since 1961: Effects of Climate Change?”

Last month was the hottest and driest April in Spain since 1961, the year records began to be kept. According to the Spanish weather service Aemet, the average temperature of 14.9 degrees Celsius in Spain was 3 degrees above average.

When calculating the average temperature, the temperatures over a 24-hour period in different places are taken into account during one month. The average of the highest temperatures that were measured was also higher than average, namely 4.7 degrees higher.

It was particularly warm at the end of the month. In many places the temperature already exceeded 35 degrees.

According to Aemet, only 22 percent of the normal amount of rain fell in Spain last month, making it the driest month of April on record.

Last year was already the warmest year ever in Spain. It was also dry then: 2022 was the sixth driest year for Spain since the measurements began.

Climate service Copernicus states that it was also extremely hot and dry in Portugal. According to a group of international scientists, the extremely high temperatures in Spain and Portugal are most likely the result of human-induced climate change. They say last month’s records used to be “almost impossible.”

Reporter Eva Wiessing was in El Viso near Córdoba, where it has never been so warm and dry this early.