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Mainland Spain experienced its hottest May day ever on Friday, with the average temperature surpassing 24 degrees Celsius (75 degrees Fahrenheit), national weather agency AEMET said on Monday.<\/p>\n
The average temperature across the country hit 24.08C, breaking the previous record for the month of 23.73C set on May 21, 2022, according to provisional data from the agency.<\/p>\n
“This was the hottest day for a month of May across mainland Spain since the beginning of the data series in 1950,” AEMET wrote on social media.<\/p>\n
The average temperature on Saturday reached 23.91C, making it the second-hottest May day on record.<\/p>\n
A mass of hot air moving north from Africa pushed temperatures in some areas of Spain more than 10C above normal for the time of the year.<\/p>\n
Temperatures exceeded 40C in parts of southern region of Andalusia.<\/p>\n
While unusual, this is not the first time Spain has experienced exceptionally high May temperatures. Similar events occurred in 2015 and 2022, AEMET said.<\/p>\n
“This reflects a scenario where summer-like conditions are arriving earlier and more frequently, even before spring has ended,” said AEMET spokesperson Ruben del Campo.<\/p>\n
Scientists say climate change driven by human activity is increasing the length, frequency and intensity of extreme weather events such as heatwaves.<\/p>\n
The last three years have been the hottest on record in Spain, which is emerging from a years-long drought.<\/p>\n
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