Scientists have confirmed that Spain last year experienced its hottest summer in 700 years, the Spanish National Research Council said on Monday.
That summer was marked by record-breaking heat due to the frequency and strength of hot air masses coming from the Saharan desert.
Looking at historical weather data from as far back as 130 years, researchers found that the average sea surface temperature was 3.3 degrees Celsius (5.9 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than average. On land, the 2022 summer was 2.1C (3.78F) hotter than the average.
"Although the summer of 2022 was an extreme anomaly in the country's climate history, there is a pattern of increasingly hotter summers since the beginning of the 21st century that increases the likelihood that this anomaly will be repeated every few years," researcher Ernesto Tejedor said in a press release.
To look back even further, the scientists analyzed tree rings from Northeastern Spain, which contain important data about weather and precipitation.
According to the analysis, researchers say it is "highly probable" that 2022 was the hottest summer since 1322 and the driest in the last 279 years.
The country's drought was also dramatically exacerbated by hot temperatures, which sucked more moisture from the land through evaporative demand.
The study concluded that while Spain can cope with occasional heat waves, it needs to adapt more to persistent atmospheric situations that favor extreme heat.
"Establishing plans and policies to mitigate the effects of climate change, especially in cities where heat islands affect the most vulnerable populations, is fundamental," said Tejedor. "We propose measures like creating climate shelters and improving resilience and adaptation of climate change."
During the record-breaking summer of 2022, an estimated 11,324 people died in Spain due to heat-related causes, according to a study published in Nature Medicine.
