The state meteorological weather agency, AEMET, has issued a forecast for the whole of spring
As the spring season officially starts today (20 March), the state weather agency Aemet has provided a forecast for the upcoming months. According to the agency’s spokesperson Rubén del Campo during the seasonal press conference, the mainland of Spain will experience normal or slightly warmer temperatures, especially in the east and both the country’s island groups, while the Atlantic coast will be rainy, and the Mediterranean coast and the Balearic Islands will be drier than normal.
Temperature and Rainfall During Winter 2022-2023 in Spain
Winter 2022-2023 was humid and mild on the mainland and in the Balearic Islands and normal in the Canary Islands, with a thermal anomaly compared to the average for the whole of Spain of 0.8C and an average temperature of 7.4ºC on the mainland. The winter season ranks as the tenth warmest since records began and as the fifth warmest in the 21st century. In terms of rainfall, there have been 30 drier and 31 wetter winters than this for as long as records have been kept.
Rainfall and Drought in Spain
The winter was generally dry as a whole, which has not helped to alleviate the meteorological and long-term drought that is forming. The reference period 1991-2020 shows that it rained an average of 194.5mm in Spain as a whole, representing 103 per cent of the normal value for the quarter. However, this contribution of 3 per cent above normal values is mostly due to the month of December, which was very wet compared to a normal January and a very dry February in the country as a whole.
Spain as a whole is still in a meteorological drought situation, and the Standard Precipitation Index (SPI) shows that the drought that began in January 2022 affects all areas except Tagus, Júcar, and Segura, which are “slightly out of the situation.” Del Campo stressed that the northeast of the peninsula is one of the areas hardest hit by the current meteorological drought, and the most affected is Catalonia, which is experiencing an intense drought from which “it has not recovered in recent months.” Even the Ebro “has got worse, and the drought has become more intense.”
Forecast for the Future in Spain
Aemet predicts a normal spring in terms of rain and more rain than usual on the Atlantic coast. For the summer season, the agency forecasts above-normal average temperatures and warns that if water scarcity continues, the fire risk index could be “very high.” Del Campo said, “Hopefully, spring will come with a little more rain, and the situation will not be so severe.”
