Hottest start to June since modern records began with ‘sticky nights’ affecting Spain’s Costa Blanca

ALICANTE province has experienced the hottest start to June since modern records began in 1950.

And there is no imminent prospect of temperatures falling soon- according to the Spanish Meteorological Agency (Aemet).

“No significant short terms changes are expected with the likelihood the heat will continue for next few days,” the forecaster said.

The unseasonably high temperatures are down to a mass of warm air wafting in from Northern Africa.

Values normally seen in July and August have appeared weeks early with the highest temperatures in inland areas of Alicante province with muggy and humid weather on the coast.

Highs over the last fortnight have been 5C above the average of the years between 1991 and 2020.

The humid oppressive evenings have also started ahead of schedule of temperatures not falling below 21C- something that is very rare for early June.

Night-time lows are expected to remain above average for large portions of the rest of the month- as high as 3C above normal.

Aemet says this down to the ‘surface temperature of the western Mediterranean, which on average is at values close to 23ºC with areas exceeding 24C, which are more than 2C above normal’.

Climate change is said to be the cause of summers getting longer, according to University of Alicante weather expert, Jorge Olcina.

Speaking to the Todo Alicante news portal, he said: “The summer is increasingly extending towards June and September and is related to seawater temperatures and just air temperature rises.”

“This new context of climate change is one of the hallmarks of Alicante province’s new climate and one of the challenges it faces,” Olcina added.