People walk on a street during a heat wave in Madrid, Spain, May 29, 2025. (Photo by Gustavo Valiente/Xinhua)
Some areas, including Seville and Lleida, saw temperatures soar above 40 degrees Celsius in late May.
BARCELONA, Spain, May 4 (Xinhua) — Spain is heading into another summer of higher-than-normal temperatures, though this year’s abundant spring rainfall has ensured stable water reserves, the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) said on Wednesday.
“Once again, for June, July, and August, we expect clearly above-normal temperatures,” Aemet spokesman Ruben del Campo told Xinhua. He noted that some areas, including Seville and Lleida, saw temperatures soar above 40 degrees Celsius in late May.
While recent months brought much-needed rain, easing a severe drought that had gripped southern and northeastern Spain for years, Del Campo warned that hot weather could quickly deplete water supplies through evaporation and increased demand. “We must not lower our guard,” he said.
People refresh themselves with water during a heat wave on a street in Madrid, Spain, May 29, 2025. (Photo by Gustavo Valiente/Xinhua)
As of Wednesday, Spain’s reservoirs were at 76 percent capacity, according to the Ministry for Ecological Transition.
Del Campo emphasized that droughts are cyclical in Spain and that improved water management has become a national priority. He also pointed to global climate trends, highlighting that 2024 was the hottest year on record, with average global temperatures exceeding the 1.5-degree Celsius threshold outlined in the Paris Agreement. ■