Spain Records Highest May Temperature On Record June 2, 2025

Temperatures exceeded 40 °C in parts of the southern region of Andalusia © CRISTINA QUICLER / AFP

By AFP - Agence France Presse

Spain Records Highest May Temperature On Record

Mainland Spain experienced its hottest May day ever on Friday, with the average temperature surpassing 24 degrees Celsius (75 degrees Fahrenheit), national weather agency AEMET said on Monday.

The average temperature across the country hit 24.08 °C, breaking the previous record for the month of 23.73 °C set on May 21, 2022, according to provisional data from the agency.

"This was the hottest day for May across mainland Spain since the beginning of the data series in 1950," AEMET wrote on social media.

The average temperature on Saturday reached 23.91 °C, making it the second-hottest May day on record.

A mass of hot air moving north from Africa pushed temperatures in some areas of Spain more than 10 °C above normal for the time of the year.

Temperatures exceeded 40 °C in parts of the southern region of Andalusia.

While unusual, this is not the first time Spain has experienced exceptionally high May temperatures. Similar events occurred in 2015 and 2022, AEMET said.

"This reflects a scenario where summer-like conditions are arriving earlier and more frequently, even before spring has ended," said AEMET spokesperson Ruben del Campo.

Scientists say climate change driven by human activity is increasing the length, frequency, and intensity of extreme weather events such as heat waves.

The last three years have been the hottest on record in Spain, which is emerging from a year-long drought.

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