Forecasters Predict Scorching Summer for Spain

2022 was the hottest summer in Spain since records began. Now sun seekers will be delighted to hear that forecasters are predicting that 2023 will be another scorching summer: perhaps even hotter than last year! Spanish meteorologists believe that temperatures in May, June and July will be higher than average for the time of year. So where will experience the highest temperatures? And what kind of temperatures can you expect? Here’s everything you need to know:

A Scorching Summer in Spain

During the summer months of May, June and July, temperatures across Spain will be above average, according to quarterly figures released by Spanish meteorologists. This forecast will apply to both inland and coastal areas of Spain, with inland areas being particularly affected. The only exception to this forecast is in the Canary Islands, where temperatures are predicted to be slightly above average, but not significantly so.

What Do the Forecasters Say?

According to the head of meteorology at El Tiempo, Mar Gomez, the likelihood is very high that this summer in Spain will be a hot one. She shares that whilst “There is a lot of time left... our calculations tell us, with a very high probability, of more than 70-80 percent, that thermal anomalies will occur, that is, temperatures above normal in almost all of Spain, especially in Andalusia, Extremadura, the two Castillas, Madrid, Aragon, La Rioja, Navarra and parts of the Basque Country and Catalonia...In my experience, such a high probability indicates that this forecast will be fulfilled."

This means that if you’re planning to spend some time in Spain this summer, then you need to pack your sunscreen and be prepared for very high temperatures.

The Current Weather in Spain  

Forecasts that summer 2023 will be hotter than average is unlikely to come as a surprise to those already living in Spain. This is because spring of this year has also experienced abnormally high temperatures so far. In conjunction with this, Spain is currently in the middle of the largest drought that the country has experienced since 1970. Some areas of the country have not experienced any rainfall for more than 100 days. Whilst this is great news for tourists hoping for dry days on their holiday, it is very concerning for local Spanish residents.

Will the low levels of rain continue into the summer months? According to the forecasters, May, June and July are predicted to see rainfall levels slightly below normal in inland Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria, Castilla y León, Madrid, Extremadura, much of Castilla La Mancha and Andalusia. The low levels of rain experienced across the country both during the spring and summer months mean that the likelihood of wildfires across Spain this summer has increased. Some parts of Spain have already experienced wildfires in 2023, with the wildfire season starting early this year.

The Record-Breaking Weather of Summer 2022

Summer 2022 was the hottest Spanish summer since records began in 1961. Temperatures across the country were 2.2 degrees warmer than average, beating the record for warmest summer ever, set in 2003, by 0.4 degrees. The hottest month of 2022 was July: national average temperatures were 26.6C making this the warmest month in Spain since records began. Throughout 2022, Spain experienced several heatwaves, with the first arriving in early June. By July, southern Spain experienced unprecedented heat wave temperatures of 46C. According to the world health organisation, the heatwaves in Spain and Portugal killed almost 2000 in 2022.

Could this be the start of a new summer trend in Spain? Certainly, the summers are getting warmer and longer. According to Ms. Gomez summers in Spain are now “five weeks longer than they were in the 1980s, increasing at a rate of nine days per decade." Longer, hotter summers certainly seem here to stay.

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