Accustomed to high temperatures, Spain is now experiencing an increasing number of heatwaves occurring closer together, sometimes outside the summer months, which is causing concern among scientists, Ednews reports referring to LeMonde.

Temperatures approaching 30°C were recorded on Thursday January 25th in Spain, which was hit by an early summer heatwave in the middle of January, announced the meteorological agency (Aemet). According to the agency, the thermometer rose to 29.4°C on Thursday afternoon in the Valencia region and 27.8°C in Murcia (south-east). Several local temperature records for a month of January were also broken across the country.

The country has already recorded unusually high temperatures in December, with a peak of 29.9°C in Malaga, in Andalusia (south), a national record for a month of December.These heat waves are occurring against a backdrop of severe drought, particularly in Andalusia and Catalonia (east), where the authorities have introduced water consumption restrictions following three years of low rainfall.

In Catalonia, the level of reservoirs, which store rainwater for use in drier months, fell to 17% of capacity in mid-January. If it falls below 16%, which seems imminent, the authorities will have no choice but to declare a state of emergency, with additional restrictions.