As summer-like temperatures linger, Spain on track for hottest October on record

OVIEDO, Spain

Spain’s public meteorology agency Aemet said on Wednesday that it is “very probable” that this October will go down as the hottest on record.

Summer-like temperatures remain across much of Spain this week, with temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) in several provinces and above 25C (77F) in most of the country.

According to Aemet, this October is on track to smash the previous monthly heat record by 2C (3.6F).

Using climate reconstructions to go beyond the official records that began in 1961, Aemet said 2022 has so far been the hottest year in Spain in at least 106 years.

This summer was already confirmed as the hottest on record.

While the balmy autumn weather has reduced natural gas consumption, the hot and dry weather has wreaked havoc on agriculture.

The Agriculture Ministry forecasts Spain will only produce 800,000 tons of olive oil this year – 43% less than average.

The unseasonable temperatures also coincide with the publication of a Lancet report on the health implications of climate change. The study found that from 2000-2020 Spain had the highest heat-related mortality rate in Europe, with 30.6 annual deaths per million.

According to Spain’s excess mortality database, more than 5,800 people have died this year due to extreme temperatures. In 2021, that figure was below 3,600.

Furthermore, the Lancet warns that the number of heat-related deaths in Europe could double in 34 years and that higher temperatures are increasing the emergence of diseases like dengue in Spain.