Last spring’s temperatures were exceptional throughout the Community

• It has been the driest spring since 1951. The hydrological balance of the quarter presents a deficit of 53% with respect to the average value of the last thirty years which causes the drought conditions to persist • The last quarter occupies the third place in the ranking of higher temperatures since 1951, highlighting the 34.5 degrees registered on April 27 in the town of Candeleda • The prediction for this summer, according to the models of the State Meteorological Agency, points to a warm and, less likely, humid quarter

June 09, 2023.- The Government delegate in Castilla y León, Virginia Barcones, today presented the climate balance of the spring in Castilla y León prepared by the State Meteorological Agency (AEMET), a balance that speaks of high temperatures and water deficit. It has been the driest spring since 1951. He has also made known the prediction for this summer.

Virginia Barcones has appeared together with the territorial delegate of AEMET, Manuel Mora, to indicate that the temperatures in Castilla y León were exceptional during last spring. The data collected indicate that it was a very warm spring and in some points of Castilla y León even “extremely warm”. In this sense, the last quarter ranks third in terms of average temperature since 1951.

“Thermometers have been above average for much of the quarter,” said Virginia Barcones. In this regard, he highlighted the period between April 8 and May 9, where the highs were “above normal”. Within that period, the last week of April stands out, date in which the highest value of this period was recorded. In particular, the 34.5 degrees that were recorded on April 27 in the Aboriginal locality of Candeleda. The minimum temperatures during the spring were oscillating, the lowest being the 12 degrees below zero recorded in the Sorian town of Radona in the early morning of March 1.

Among the historical records recorded by AEMET during the month of April in its stations of Castilla y León, it is worth highlighting the 30.1 degrees achieved on the 27th at the current location of the observatory of Valladolid. A day later, on April 28, in the province of Soria the mercury reached 30 degrees, two more than the highest value recorded in that month and dating from April 21, 1945. If we talk about minimum records, on April 5, the Burmese town of Villafrio reached 6.9º below zero, being its previous record of 6.2 degrees below zero.

The hydrological balance was also lower than the average records in the 30 years from 1991 to 2020. In fact, it has been the driest spring since 1951. The water balance performed by AEMET is dry or extremely dry. In much of Castile and Leon, the cumulative precipitation values fell below 100 liters per square meter. The exception was in very specific areas located to the north of the province of León and Burgos as well as the Central System.

“This marked deficit during the spring quarter means that long-term weather drought conditions persist in some areas of our Community, especially in the north-east,” said the government delegate in Castilla y León.

SUMMER FORECAST

Virginia Barcones has also summarized the prediction for this summer made by AEMET. According to the prediction models, the quarter of June, July and August will most likely have a warm character and, less likely, a humid character as a whole.

Virginia Barcones has thanked the Spanish Meteorological Agency for the work it does with these predictions, a work that is necessary since it affects daily life. “I think there are few Spaniards who wake up in the morning without consulting and knowing how long that day will take,” he said.

In this regard, he stressed that the new technologies “have multiplied the possibilities of access to weather forecasts”. He added that technological modernization allows those predictions to be increasingly effective. “In case of even millimetric rain,” he said. In this regard, he has highlighted the accurate warnings issued by Meteoalert, warnings that are fundamental for the protection of “lives and property”.

STATE OF THE CLIMATE IN SPAIN 2022

Virginia Barcones has referred to the report on the state of the climate in Spain 2022, “a work that is consolidated as a reference guide to know the most outstanding aspects of climate behavior in our country”. This report confirms the trend of recent years, the gradual increase in temperatures in our country.

Finally, he explained that all those interested in the science of meteorology should know that AEMET has created ‘Meteoverso’, a communication channel with which it shows in detail the work it does and how its services work. It is a monthly podcast and is accessible through the Agency’s digital platforms and social networks.