Three degrees above normal: Catalonia experiences the hottest summer since records began

BarcelonaThe widespread feeling this summer has been one of unbearable and endless heat, which is even extending into this early September. The Meteorological Service of Catalonia published this Wednesday its seasonal report for the meteorological summer – which ends at the end of August – and certifies that, indeed, this year's has been the warmest since records began. The average temperature for the country as a whole registered a thermal anomaly greater than +3.0 °C with respect to the reference period 1991-2020 in over 80% of the territory, while some locations, such as the western Pyrenees or the plain of Vic, have reached +4.0 °C above normal values for the time of year. Meteocat highlights that the twenty historical data series in the country, those exceeding 75 years of data, have recorded the warmest summer in their series, “and this result shows that the temperature record does not correspond to the exceptional behavior of a specific sector, but rather has occurred in a generalized manner across the entire territory”.

Record of days with over 40 °C

Meteocat also points out that the maximum temperature has been the main contributor to this very high thermal anomaly of the summer, with 20 days of temperature equal to or above 40 °C, a record that until a few years ago was unusual or non-existent in our country. In this regard, Lleida stands out, having reached this temperature on 15 occasions, or Vinebre and Alcarràs, with 14 days each.

We find proof of this high and persistent maximum temperature in the case of the centenary Fabra Observatory in Barcelona, which has also recorded the warmest summer since 1914, surpassing that of 2003. This observation point located in Collserola has recorded 76 days with a maximum temperature above 30 °C during the months of June, July, and August, exceeding the previous record of 2022, when this value was surpassed on 73 days in the entire year. This means, therefore, that this week days will continue to be added to this scandalous count.

An unbridled minimum temperature

Nighttime temperature records also leave us with record data, such as the 59 torrid nights already accumulated by the Can Bruixa observatory, in the Les Corts neighborhood of Barcelona. These 59 torrid nights recorded this year, which could increase in the coming days, are exceptional, and proof of this is that they are equivalent to the total sum of the torrid minimums recorded at this same point between 1987 and 1995, and exceed the 2003 record by eight.

Tropical minimums have also been frequent in many places, and are already approaching 100 in some parts of the urban center of Barcelona. Predictably, they will reach it during the first or second week of September, which are expected to be abnormally warm. It is therefore still to be confirmed whether the 132 tropical nights recorded at Can Bruixa in 2022 will be surpassed.