Temperatures set to drop after Spain smashes December heat record
Mainland Spain recorded its highest temperature ever for December after Málaga saw the mercury reach 29.9C on Tuesday. Temperatures across Spain will now return to more standard winter levels.
Temperatures across Spain are set to drop after unseasonably warm weather saw parts of the country smash December heat records.
Mainland Spain (excluding Spain's archipelagos and overseas enclaves) recorded its highest temperature ever for December after the southern city of Málaga saw thermometers reach 29.9C (85.8 Fahrenheit) on Tuesday 12th, the Aemet national weather service said.
Historic day...
We just observed the hottest December day for Spain 🇪🇸 on record with +29.9°C in Málaga.
This heat is hard to comprehend in the middle of December, so near the solstice. pic.twitter.com/GMcVkx3TmI
— Scott Duncan (@ScottDuncanWX) December 12, 2023
Rubén del Campo, Aemet spokesman, described the temperatures as "extraordinary" for "mid-December." The Mediterranean coast also saw soaring temperatures, with 26C recorded in Valencia, 27C in Murcia, and 28C in some towns in the southeast corner of the country on Monday.
Aemet posted a list of the highest temperatures on its Twitter/X account: "Ranking of maximum temperatures recorded yesterday, December 12th, at AEMET stations. Historic day for the highest temperature recorded in peninsular Spain for the month of December: 29.9C at the Málaga Meteorological Center observatory."
Ranking de temperaturas máximas registradas ayer, 12 de diciembre, en las estaciones automáticas de AEMET.
Día histórico por la temperatura más alta registrada en la España peninsular para un mes de diciembre: 29,9 ºC en el observatorio del Centro Meteorológico de Málaga. pic.twitter.com/lAjAe8uwj8
— AEMET (@AEMET_Esp) December 13, 2023
The record-breaking heat in Málaga, which follows several days of warm air currents across the Iberian peninsula, surpassed the previous December record from 2010, when a temperature of 29.4C was recorded in Granada, also in the southern Andalusia region.
December temperature records on the Spanish islands are somewhat higher than on the mainland, owing to the different climates: 33.6C is the maximum recorded in the Canary Islands, and 30.6C in Melilla, the autonomous Spanish city in North Africa.
Such levels would be "much less likely" without "the climate changes that have been observed globally and in Spain", Aemet said.
Despite being accustomed to hot summer months, Spaniards in recent years have seen a growing number of intense heat waves in other seasons, raising alarm among many scientists.
According to Aemet, the frequency of heat waves has tripled in the country over the past 10 years, and the summer weather season has increased by 10 days per decade since the 1980s.
However, temperatures are now set to revert to more customary levels for the time of year, and are set to fall throughout the week. Drops in daytime temperatures could be between 6C and 8C degrees lower than those at the start of the week, although parts of the Mediterranean coast could continue to exceed 20C.
A polar air mass is set to arrive in the country, which is forecast to bring rain and possibly even snowfall in several regions. The front will arrive via the Atlantic, causing locally intense rainfall in the coastal areas, notably Galicia, that will spread through Cantabria, Castilla y León and up to the Pyrenees.
Aemet shows its predictions for the next 72 hours below.
Evolución de la situación en superficie para las próximas 72 horas, https://t.co/XZgPFkyP2Q pic.twitter.com/WfPcDz8Oes
— AEMET (@AEMET_Esp) December 13, 2023
Rainfall could reach the south too, particularly in areas of inland Andalusia. The Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands are both set for cloudy conditions.
By Thursday, Aemet predicts that temperatures will have returned to normal for the time of year and will last into the weekend.
Rains will persist, but will largely be limited to the northern area and the Balearic Islands, where there could be some stormy conditions.
Morning frosts will be concentrated mainly in the mountainous parts of the country, especially in the Pyrenees, although they will also be intense in places such as Ávila, Palencia, Segovia and Granada.
READ ALSO: Where are the coldest places in Spain?
Comments
See Also
Temperatures across Spain are set to drop after unseasonably warm weather saw parts of the country smash December heat records.
Mainland Spain (excluding Spain's archipelagos and overseas enclaves) recorded its highest temperature ever for December after the southern city of Málaga saw thermometers reach 29.9C (85.8 Fahrenheit) on Tuesday 12th, the Aemet national weather service said.
Historic day...
— Scott Duncan (@ScottDuncanWX) December 12, 2023
We just observed the hottest December day for Spain 🇪🇸 on record with +29.9°C in Málaga.
This heat is hard to comprehend in the middle of December, so near the solstice. pic.twitter.com/GMcVkx3TmI
Rubén del Campo, Aemet spokesman, described the temperatures as "extraordinary" for "mid-December." The Mediterranean coast also saw soaring temperatures, with 26C recorded in Valencia, 27C in Murcia, and 28C in some towns in the southeast corner of the country on Monday.
Aemet posted a list of the highest temperatures on its Twitter/X account: "Ranking of maximum temperatures recorded yesterday, December 12th, at AEMET stations. Historic day for the highest temperature recorded in peninsular Spain for the month of December: 29.9C at the Málaga Meteorological Center observatory."
Ranking de temperaturas máximas registradas ayer, 12 de diciembre, en las estaciones automáticas de AEMET.
— AEMET (@AEMET_Esp) December 13, 2023
Día histórico por la temperatura más alta registrada en la España peninsular para un mes de diciembre: 29,9 ºC en el observatorio del Centro Meteorológico de Málaga. pic.twitter.com/lAjAe8uwj8
The record-breaking heat in Málaga, which follows several days of warm air currents across the Iberian peninsula, surpassed the previous December record from 2010, when a temperature of 29.4C was recorded in Granada, also in the southern Andalusia region.
December temperature records on the Spanish islands are somewhat higher than on the mainland, owing to the different climates: 33.6C is the maximum recorded in the Canary Islands, and 30.6C in Melilla, the autonomous Spanish city in North Africa.
Such levels would be "much less likely" without "the climate changes that have been observed globally and in Spain", Aemet said.
Despite being accustomed to hot summer months, Spaniards in recent years have seen a growing number of intense heat waves in other seasons, raising alarm among many scientists.
According to Aemet, the frequency of heat waves has tripled in the country over the past 10 years, and the summer weather season has increased by 10 days per decade since the 1980s.
However, temperatures are now set to revert to more customary levels for the time of year, and are set to fall throughout the week. Drops in daytime temperatures could be between 6C and 8C degrees lower than those at the start of the week, although parts of the Mediterranean coast could continue to exceed 20C.
A polar air mass is set to arrive in the country, which is forecast to bring rain and possibly even snowfall in several regions. The front will arrive via the Atlantic, causing locally intense rainfall in the coastal areas, notably Galicia, that will spread through Cantabria, Castilla y León and up to the Pyrenees.
Aemet shows its predictions for the next 72 hours below.
Evolución de la situación en superficie para las próximas 72 horas, https://t.co/XZgPFkyP2Q pic.twitter.com/WfPcDz8Oes
— AEMET (@AEMET_Esp) December 13, 2023
Rainfall could reach the south too, particularly in areas of inland Andalusia. The Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands are both set for cloudy conditions.
By Thursday, Aemet predicts that temperatures will have returned to normal for the time of year and will last into the weekend.
Rains will persist, but will largely be limited to the northern area and the Balearic Islands, where there could be some stormy conditions.
Morning frosts will be concentrated mainly in the mountainous parts of the country, especially in the Pyrenees, although they will also be intense in places such as Ávila, Palencia, Segovia and Granada.
READ ALSO: Where are the coldest places in Spain?
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.