It was the hottest June in the Basque Country since 1970 due to an unusual heat wave

The Basque Country has recorded the warmest June since 1970, when the meteorological data collection system was modernized in the BasqueCountry.  According to the Euskalmet  balance sheet, the Basque Autonomous Community has exceeded the records of 2022 and 2023 by 0.6 degrees Celsius.

The Agency has divided the month into two distinct stages. During the first half of the month the cold and hot days interspersed, but from 13 June the thermometers began to rise definitively. The real turning point, however, occurred between 21 and 27 June, when an unusual extreme heat began.

This heat wave met two unprecedented climatic milestones: it was the longest heat wave ever recorded in June and, at the same time, the second most intense in history in the Basque Country for any time of the year.

On the 21st, thermometers easily surpassed 40 degrees in many corners, and the situation worsened significantly on the 24th, when half of the stations in the Euskalmet network crossed that barrier, namely 44.1 degrees in Sodupe, 43.2 degrees in Llodio station and 43.1 degrees in Galdakao.

The night temperatures were exceptional and very high, with the average minimum of 22 and 24 June being the highest in the history of the CSC, exceeding the record of 4 August 2003. Calima and humidity also brought the feeling of embarrassment to its extreme.

There was little precipitation in general, and the number of rainy days was much less than usual.

The month ended with a sudden change of weather on the evenings of 27 and 28 June, with storms.

In the second half of the month, 24 yellow warnings were activated due to heavy rainfall, persistent high temperatures, extreme high temperatures and the risk of forest fires.

In addition, 12 orange alerts were issued (for persistent high temperatures, extreme high temperatures and forest fire risk) and 3 red alarms for extreme high temperatures.