A Spanish climate expert urged residents to brace for increasingly extreme weather conditions, including severe heatwaves and wildfires fueled by rising temperatures.
Javier Martin-Vide, a geography professor at the University of Barcelona, said in an interview Thursday that Spain’s climate is worsening and awareness must improve. Temperatures recently surged to 42°C (107.6°F) across much of the country, while storms and flooding warnings have followed this week from the State Meteorological Agency (AEMET).
Wildfires have scorched over 9,000 hectares in Catalonia this month alone, with Martin-Vide warning of more to come.
“These conditions of extreme heat are very favorable for large wildfires,” he said. “We’re likely to see more devastating scenes this summer.”
He said climate models suggest warming trends will make heatwaves more frequent, more intense and arrive earlier each year.
Spain’s health ministry reported 2,020 heat-related deaths last summer — 90% of them individuals over age 75.