Alyssa McMurtry
27 October 2022•Update: 27 October 2022
OVIEDO, Spain
The Basque Country in northern Spain on Thursday activated its wildfire protocol amid record heat and strong winds from the south.
Just like during the peak of summer heat waves, residents are prohibited from burning fires, having barbeques near vegetation, lighting fireworks or using agricultural machinery that can cause sparks.
The restrictions will last until Sunday, and violators face fines ranging from €1,501 ($1,505) to €30,001.
José Antonio Aranda, head of the Basque meteorological agency, said temperatures are “abnormally exaggerated,” and the land is already “extremely dry” after months of little rain.
Already last weekend, a fire near the Basque town of Balmaseda scorched 500 hectares (1,235 acres), making it the worst fire in the area in 30 years.
The Basque city of San Sebastian, where the average maximum temperature for this time of year is around 18 degrees Celsius (64 degrees Fahrenheit), is an example of the unrelenting heat gripping much of Spain.
On Thursday, the city saw temperatures above 30 C (86 F) at 9 a.m. local time, just 20 minutes after sunrise.
After the hottest summer on record, Spanish meteorology agency Aemet said October is also on track to becoming the hottest October on record.
Looking further back, Aemet said 2022 so far has been the hottest year in at least 106 years.
A report released on Thursday by the scientific group Climate Central found that four Spanish cities were among the 10 European metropolises that most clearly felt the effects of climate change through daily temperatures over the last year. Although no Basque cities made the list, Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Zaragoza were among the 10 hardest hit in Europe.
In total, Climate Central said climate change made daily temperatures warmer for 7.6 billion people over the last year.
