The first half of 2026 was "the hottest ever recorded" in Spain, with an average temperature 1.6C above normal, national meteorological agency Aemet announced on Wednesday.
Spain, a country on the front line of global warming in Europe, is used to extreme temperatures, but in recent years it has faced an increase and intensification of heat waves.
"The seven hottest first half-years of the series (which begins in 1961) have occurred in the last ten years," Aemet said on X.
June of this year, which was marked by a strong heatwave that affected many European countries, was "the second hottest June in the statistical series", after that of 2025, "with an average temperature 3.2C above normal", the Spanish weather agency explained.
Monday June 22nd (28.17C on average) and Tuesday June 23rd (28.08C) were the hottest days recorded in Spain for a month of June since 1950, according to Aemet.
