Simon Hunter
“UNTIL the 40th of May, don’t put your raincoat away.” So says the famous Spanish saying (Hasta el cuarenta de mayo no te quites el sayo), serving as a warning that heavy rain may fall well into June, despite the apparent arrival of summer.
But never was the adage more true than this year, which saw the second-rainiest June of the 21st century, according to state weather service Aemet.
Data released by the agency and reported by Europa Press shows that there was an average rainfall of 67.2 litres per square metre during the sixth month of the year, which is 210% above the norm.
What’s more, the month of June was the fourth wettest since the current data series began in 1961. In the Canary Islands, it was the all-time wettest on record.
The month was also the ninth-warmest of the century so far, with an average temperature in the peninsula of 21.1ºC. That’s 1ºC above the average for the period 1991 to 2020.
But despite this heavy rainfall – which was repeated last week in areas such as Zaragoza, causing flash flooding – the country is still technically in a situation of a long-term meteorological drought.
Read more:
- Spain starts summer with drought in nearly 40% of the country
- Recent rain a welcome relief for vineyards in Spain’s Malaga
- Rainy weather in Madrid forces cancellation of first night of Primavera Sound festival
