Walter Finch
A SPANISH meteorology expert has questioned the validity of a scorching 46C reading in the Huelva village of El Granado just on the Portuguese border over the weekend.
Meteorologist Urko Jalle has urged Aemet, Spain’s national weather agency, to release metadata and photos of the station’s current state to settle the debate, throwing a spanner in the works of what was hailed as Spain’s hottest June day on record,
The figure, recorded on Saturday, June 28, in the middle of a Europe-wide heatwave, was touted by the state weather agency Aemet as a new all time national record for the month.
So Jalle raised a few eyebrows by suggesting that the measurement might not, in fact, hold water.
The La Meteo del Norte forecaster pointed to a puzzling discrepancy of between 2-4C from the El Granado and those from nearby official stations, including 42.5C at Villanueva del Fresno 95km away and 43C at Cerro Andévalo 50km away.
The El Granado station isn’t in the village itself but sits 10 kilometres northwest tight on the border with Portugal, perched on a south-southwest slope at just 60 metres above sea level, close to the Chanza reservoir’s rugged terrain.
This spot, Jalle argues, could be a heat trap, basking in direct afternoon sun and suffering from poor ventilation – factors that might skew the mercury relative to neighbouring temperature stations.
The expert’s suspicions deepen with the station’s unusual temperature spike, jumping 3C in just 90 minutes to hit 46C at 4.43pm local time.
“The temperature looked like it was going to reach 44C at 3pm Portugal time, but it suddenly rose by 3C between 3pm and 4.30pm to 46C, which was recorded at 4.43pm Spain time.
“It is an anomalous temperature and inconsistent with the rest of the day.”
What could be behind this unexpected spike?
READ MORE: Spain’s children are being damaged by ‘parents using screens as digital babysitters’ claims expert
He speculates this could stem from inadequate maintenance, with vegetation or buildings possibly blocking airflow, or even a rare local microclimate effect, though he deems the latter unlikely given the modest 100-200 metre elevation difference with surrounding areas.
“It’s hard to justify 46C when nearby stations suggest 44-45C at most,” Jalle notes, urging AEMET to release metadata and photos of the station’s current state to settle the debate.
For locals and tourists in southern Spain, where heatwaves are no stranger, the record’s accuracy is a matter of great importance – especially as the region braces for more sizzling summers.
Aemet has yet to officially confirm the 46C reading, leaving it still as only a provisional record.
Click here to read more Weather News from The Olive Press.
