Unprecedented warmth: A look at Spain's exceptional summer of 2022

This analysis looks at how Spain, particularly affected by climate change, experienced an extremely hot summer in 2022. This unusual heat was caused by a combination of weather patterns that brought very warm air from Africa. As a result, Spain saw some of the hottest temperatures ever recorded, with more frequent and longer heatwaves compared to the past. Despite normal amounts of rain, the intense heat caused severe drought in many areas. Also, when looking at historical climate data, it's clear that the average temperature during the summer of 2022 was the highest in the last 700 years, and it was the driest period in the last 279 years in northeastern Spain. These findings emphasize the importance of taking steps to protect people from extreme heat and to prepare better for the impacts of climate change in the future.

Serrano-Notivoli, R., Tejedor, E., Sarricolea, P., Meseguer-Ruiz, O., de Luis, M., Saz, M. Á., … Olcina, J. (2023, September 15). Unprecedented warmth: A look at Spain’s exceptional summer of 2022. Atmospheric Research. Elsevier Ltd. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosres.2023.106931