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Spain Records its Third Hottest Summer Since Records Began as Drought Drags on

A local resident fights a forest fire with a shovel during a wildfire in Tabara, northwest Spain, Tuesday, July 19, 2022. (AP)
A local resident fights a forest fire with a shovel during a wildfire in Tabara, northwest Spain, Tuesday, July 19, 2022. (AP)
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Spain Records its Third Hottest Summer Since Records Began as Drought Drags on

A local resident fights a forest fire with a shovel during a wildfire in Tabara, northwest Spain, Tuesday, July 19, 2022. (AP)
A local resident fights a forest fire with a shovel during a wildfire in Tabara, northwest Spain, Tuesday, July 19, 2022. (AP)

Spain this year recorded its third hottest summer since official records began 62 years ago, authorities said Thursday, with temperatures peaking at 46.8 C (116 F) as the country's severe drought dragged on.

The average summer temperature was 1.3 degrees Celsius (2.34 degrees Fahrenheit) above normal, the Spanish weather agency AEMET said.

The World Meteorological Organization said last week that last month wasn't only the world’s hottest August scientists ever recorded by far. It was also the second hottest month measured after July 2023.

Since 1961, mainland Spain’s average temperature has risen 1.6 degrees C (2.88 degrees F), according to AEMET.

Spain’s two hottest summers were in 2022 and 2003.

This year's January-August period in Spain equaled the same periods in 2022 and 2020 as the country’s hottest ever recorded over those months, AEMET said.

At the same time, this summer was the rainiest since the turn of the century, AEMET said, though most of Spain is still in the grip of an extended drought. Northeast Spain is enduring its most extreme drought since records began.

Also, between January and August Spain’s coastal waters heated up more than ever previously recorded, according to AEMET.

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Varieties

Rare Pallid Bat Spotted in Saudi Arabia's Northern Borders Region

Bats are found on every continent except Antarctica - SPA
Bats are found on every continent except Antarctica - SPA
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Rare Pallid Bat Spotted in Saudi Arabia's Northern Borders Region

Bats are found on every continent except Antarctica - SPA
Bats are found on every continent except Antarctica - SPA

The Pallid bat (Antrozous pallidus), a rare species in the region, was recently spotted in the Saudi Arabia's northern borders.

The region have fostered a rich array of ecosystems, supporting a unique biodiversity that relies heavily on natural resources, according to SPA.

Typically native to the western coast of the Americas, this bat is seldom seen outside its usual range. Its presence in the region highlights the area's pristine nature and hints at the existence of other undiscovered rare and unique species.

Bats, the only mammals capable of flight, are found on every continent except Antarctica.
Biologists have confirmed that the Pallid bat, not native to the Middle East, thrives in arid environments. These bats roost in rock crevices during the day and emerge at night to feed on insects and worms. They hibernate during the winter and give birth to one or two pups in the spring, which they wean after about 40 days.
The primary benefit of bats lies in their role as natural pest controllers. Consuming up to 40% of their body weight in insects daily, including mosquitoes.
Additionally, bats play a critical role in pollinating plants and dispersing seeds, making them invaluable to wildlife restoration efforts in the Kingdom.