Night heat in Puerto Pollensa, Mallorca

A hot night in Puerto Pollensa. | Xesca Serra

Andrew EdePalma06/10/2023 15:42
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According to Spain's Sustainability Observatory, the number of 'torrid nights' this year has increased more in the Balearics than anywhere else in the country - thirteen more. A torrid night is when overnight temperatures do not dip below 25C. Behind the Balearics (treated as a province for the purposes of this study) are Tarragona, Almeria and Malaga.

For Spain in general, the analysis by the Observatory finds that the number of torrid nights multiplied by five between 1991-2020. In 2023, 240 have been recorded, while there were 179 in 2022. (These are cumulative numbers from all provinces.)

Similarly, the number of tropical nights (temperatures not below 20C) has increased from 1,511 to 1,786. There has also been an increase in what are described as 'infernal nights'. These occurred in July; they are when the temperature doesn't fall below 30C. This was the case in places such as Barcelona, Malaga and Tenerife.

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The Observatory points to there having been four heat waves in Spain this summer (there were three in the Balearics). The fourth of these saw a record temperature of 46.8C at Valencia Airport.

In 2022, heat waves were of a combined 41 days duration, a number never previously reached and which was twice the average of the previous ten years.

The report states that there has been "extraordinary severity with respect to heat waves" since 2015. These have almost become "the new normal". More of Spain is now affected by heat waves - forty provinces. In the set of heat waves recorded in 2022, "all previous records" were broken in respect of the maximum temperature anomaly - plus 4.5C.

Among its various conclusions, the Sustainability Observatory calls for more "mandatory" policies for adaptation to climate change. Everything indicates that in the future there will be more and more torrid and infernal nights and that heat waves will be more frequent, will have greater intensity and will last longer.