ENDLESS SUMMER IS COMING

Warmest May in Spain

Spain faces the earliest heat wave in history. On Wednesday 18th of May Spain is going to
experience an “important warm episode” which would be the first one in May. It is expected that
from Wednesday till Saturday the temperatures will not stop raising, achieving temperatures
10o-15o higher than usual. The earliest official heat waves on record occurred on June 11, 1981
and June 13, 2017. Almost a month later.

A heat wave technically implies a temperature peak for three consecutive days in at least 10% of
the territory and with very high temperatures compared to the historical average. The Aemet
(Meteorology Statal Agency of Spain) anticipates that this May the first 40oC of the year will be
reached. It has been confirmed in the latest report of the UN Panel of Scientists (IPCC) how a
planet overheated by the accumulation of greenhouse gases emitted by humans has among its
most important consequences the increase of waves of heat. They also have observed that the
Mediterranean region in which Spain is located has the highest probability to experience this kind
of phenomena.

Consequences of heatwaves

Heatwaves have not only a significant impact to the environment but also to the society, including a
rise in heat-related deaths. Heat become dangerous for humans when the body is unable to cool
itself in an effective way. High humidity and elevated temperatures during the nights are likely key
ingredients in causing heat-related illness (like cardiovascular and respiratory complications or
kidney disease) and mortality. The groups that are particularly vulnerable to heat stress include
older adults, infants and children, people with chronic health conditions, and outdoor workers.
Scientists consider that heatwaves are among the most dangerous of natural threats, even though
most of the times they don’t receive the adequate attention because their consequences aren’t
always immediately observable and obvious. For example, in 2003, 70000 people died in Europe
because of a heatwave in the continent. And for the same reason, in the USA more than 600
people died per year from 1999 till 2009.

The exposure to heat is increasingly becoming more common due to climate change. Globally,
extreme temperature events are observed to be increasing in their frequency, duration, and
magnitude. The effects may be worse in cities because buildings, roads and infrastructures absorb
heat, but non-urban communities can also be dangerously disrupted during and after periods of
unusually high temperatures. Heat can exacerbate drought and dry conditions can create wildfire
situations. Food security may also be strained if farmlands are subjected to these types of
conditions. Air quality is also affected, as hot days can increase the production of gases that are
harmful for humans and it implies the greater use of air conditioning, which requires the use of
electricity which implies the emission of other types of pollution. In addition, it can also burden
health and emergency services. Rising temperatures across the world pose a threat to people,
ecosystems, and the economy.

The Earth is crying for help through heatwaves

The temperature peak in Spain of the next few days may become the first of these extreme
phenomena in 2022, but it will definitely not be the last one. Periods of excessively hot weather are
going to become more frequent and severe, which has dangerous impacts, as it can be the
desertification of vast swaths of Spain, devastating agriculture. At this point, this kind of extreme