MADRID.- Recent unusually high temperatures for this time of year will continue in many parts of Spain on Friday and into the weekend, the country’s weather agency reported. The heat wave has caused an almost summer-like sensation in many coastal areas as the population goes to the beaches to sunbathe and some go into the waters in the middle of winter.
The State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) indicated that the high temperatures affecting southern Europe are due to an anticyclone that transports a mass of hot air from further south. The lack of clouds also caused an increase in temperatures, he explained.
Last week, Spain and other parts of Europe were hit by extremely cold weather and storms, which in turn followed freezing temperatures and snow in many parts of Spain.
In the last week, many cities reached the highest temperatures for this time of year in more than 20 years, said AEMET spokesperson Marcelino Núñez. On Thursday, the inland town of Chelva recorded a temperature of 29.6 degrees Celsius (85 Fahrenheit), he said.
Minimum and maximum temperatures average between 5 and 10 degrees Celsius (9-18 degrees Fahrenheit) above normal, according to the agency.
The good weather has led to busy beaches from the southwest of Cádiz to the northeast of Barcelona, scenes normally associated with the summer months.
Núñez indicated that it is not possible to attribute the current high temperatures to the climate crisis without conducting studies, but they follow a trend of increasingly frequent periods of unusually high temperatures that experts associate with climate change.
