Spain to reach 40C as country sweats in record-breaking temperatures as drought continues
25 April 2023, 11:42 | Updated: 25 April 2023, 11:44
Temperatures in Spain are expected to reach 40C this week in the hottest-ever day in April.
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Forecasters are predicting the record-breaking temperatures between Wednesday and Friday.
Spain only normally experiences that level of heat in July. The highest temperature ever recorded in Spain for April was 37.4C in Murcia, in the south-east of the country, in 2011.
The hot weather comes after the driest March in 20 years, sparking fears about the country's long-term water reserves. The currently is now officially in a drought.
The country's reservoirs are 15% lower than average capacity, with some now containing less than a third of the water they can hold.
People in Spain are being warned to think hard about how they use water amid the drought. Agriculture has also been badly affected by the weather conditions and lack of water.
Spain's state forecaster Aemet warned about the "progressive entry of a very warm and dry air mass of African origin" that would bring "typical values of summer".
The Guadalquivir river valley in Andalusia in southern Spain, which contains cities like Seville, "could even reach 40C" on Thursday and Friday.
Temperatures are set to fall again on Sunday and Monday, "ending this episode of exceptionally high temperatures for the time of year".
"The government of Spain and I are aware that the debate surrounding drought is going to be one of the central political and territorial debates of our country over the coming years," he said.
Read more: Record number of excess deaths during UK summer heatwave
Spain has had uncharacteristically low rainfall and high temperatures over the past few years.
Last year, dozens of forest fires forced the evacuation of thousands of people and charred tens of thousands of acres over the past week.
Temperatures reached 45C last August, which led to many deaths.
