MADRID, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- July this year was Spain's hottest month on record with an average temperature of 25.6 degrees Celsius, the national weather agency confirmed on Tuesday.

The average temperature was 2.7 degrees Celsius above the recorded average for July since records began in 1961, Spain's meteorological agency AEMET said.

On July 24, the temperature hit 46 degrees Celsius in the southwestern Andalusian town of Moron de la Frontera, while a record 44 degrees Celsius was registered in Ourense in the northwestern region of Galicia.

AEMET said there were "no precedents for a July as hot as this one, nor for a June-July or May-June-July period as hot as those experienced this year."

It said the heatwave affected 40 provinces and lasted 18 days from July 9 to 26.

According to Spain's Ministry of Health, excessive heat was the direct cause of at least 2,000 deaths this summer.

The extreme heat has also threatened water safety in Spain, leaving water volumes in nationwide reservoirs at around 40 percent of their storage capacities. Many towns have introduced measures to restrict water consumption.

Meanwhile, the European Forest Fire Information System shows over 240,000 hectares of land have been destroyed by wildfires in Spain so far this year -- also the largest number on record. Enditem

Related

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)