It’s not a race, but if it were, the climate emergency wouldn’t just be winning—it would be doing so with one feat after another. “It’s as if every year a new runner appeared and broke a record, and did so by a wide margin, and the following year it was broken again—that wouldn’t be normal,” says Francisco Doblas, head of the Earth Sciences Department at the Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), in a vivid analogy. The paradox is that, in this case, record highs are not achievements to applaud, let alone celebrate.

"The Montreal Protocol agreed in the late eighties to reduce and eliminate gases that destroyed the ozone layer. All UN member states approved it, and agreed to end the use of these substances, which implied the change or elimination of products such as some aerosols or air conditioners. The result has been very satisfactory: the hole in the ozone layer is closing, and between the years 2040 and 2066 it will close completely. This can reduce global warming by up to 0.5 °C", remarked Xavi Segura, head of Meteorology at ARA, in the talk he gave in the majestic auditorium of the Reial Acadèmia de Ciències i Arts de Barcelona, an activity of Club Prèmium open to all subscribers.

The wind alert that the Catalan government sent to mobile phones on Wednesday afternoon was appropriate, because, judging by the injuries and damage caused by the wind, the suspension of classes and the recommendation to work from home surely prevented further tragedies. The image of the roof collapsing onto a music classroom where no children were present is chilling. From the Terres de l'Ebre and Lleida regions, accustomed to strong winds, there has been criticism that the areas to be alerted were not selected more precisely. However, considering the number of daily commutes from all over the country to the dense Barcelona metropolitan area, it was prudent for everyone to be warned of what could happen. The increasing reliability of weather forecasts facilitates accurate preventative decision-making. But the factor that politically frees governments from restricting normal life is the irresponsibility of the Mazón government during the 2024 DANA storm. On that criminal day, partly due to the president's absence, partly due to supposedly liberal ideological scruples, the alert was finally sent when most of the victims had already died. No government wants to be caught out.

Much of the Iberian Peninsula is experiencing the effects of Marten, the fourteenth Atlantic storm of this winter, when the devastation caused by the Leonardowhich has left two dead and 11,000 displaced from their homes in Andalusia alone. Especially in Extremadura, Castile and above all in Andalusia, Marten has caused new evacuations and more flooding, foreshadowing economic losses in the millions, according to the president of the regional government, Juanma Moreno.

The easterly winds have brought hours of intense and continuous rain to the Camp de Tarragona region, with swollen rivers and streams requiring heightened vigilance. The water has created unusual landscapes that understandably pique the curiosity of residents and visitors alike. But this fleeting beauty masks a real risk: it is essential to take extra precautions and heed all recommendations. Faced with increasingly frequent extreme weather events, prevention and collective responsibility are non-negotiable.

For the past few weeks, TV3's weather forecast has included the city of Alghero, on the island of Sardinia, now part of Italy, which was once under the rule of the Crown of Aragon. 22.4% of the population speaks Catalan, a remnant of our ancestors' presence: this must be the reason why Catalan television is reporting the weather in that location. The initiative is commendable, as it informs viewers about the expansion of Catalans in the Mediterranean, something that, broadly speaking, occurred from the birth of James I (1225) and the reign of Peter the Ceremonious until the reincorporation of the Kingdom of Majorca into the Crown on December 13.

Gori Masip (Sitges, 2002) has a physical map of Catalonia hanging in his home, a testament to his passion for geography. The broadcaster, who found the ideal environment to launch his career on social media, has carved out a niche for himself on the TV3 meteorology team thanks to his rigorous, clear, and approachable way of explaining weather. His ability to make complex phenomena understandable without losing his humor and enthusiasm has made him one of the most recognizable and viral faces on Catalan television, to the point that many affectionately call him "the weather kid."

White clouds make white trees past the green trees. Cloud forests drift across the sky, or they are white leaves from the giant upside-down tree we see too close to understand.

The month of June is over, and although in recent days the heat has become somewhat more bearable, in some places it will be the hottest month since records began. This is the case of Lleida, where the average for this month will be 26.6 °C, the highest at least since 1960, 0.4 ºC higher than the previous record, set in 2003. In Tortosa and in the airports of Girona and Reus the average temperature of 2003 and 2022 are almost the same, but the drop in temperature in recent days has meant it stayed below the previous record. In Barcelona's Fabra Observatory, this June will be the second warmest since records began, with an average temperature almost 1 ºC lower than in 2003.