This year was the driest September of the century

The month of September that has just ended has been very dry and very hot, according to Euskalmet data, as it has been the driest of the century and the third warmest since 1970.

Rainfall has been very low throughout the Basque Autonomous Community, making September 2026 the driest of the 21st century. To a large extent, rain has fallen in scattered and occasional showers, affecting the territory very unevenly. Excluding western Bizkaia, it has done less than half as much as expected, while in part of Álava the values have been below 20%.

Some stations have recorded the lowest value in the September historical series, the most deficient amount accumulated has been in the Alavesa Plain, the least in Moreda (4 mm).

The most notable event took place between the 8th and 9th of the month, as a result of a front associated with a small depression in the Cantabrian Sea, as well as on the 30th, following the arrival of a cold front.

In terms of temperatures, it's been a very hot month, with thermometers up 2.6 degrees above average, or 19-20 degrees. After September 1987 and 2023, this year has been the third warmest since the 1970s.

The warmest days were 4 to 6, due to a mass of hot, dry air from North Africa. The highs were 35 to 40 degrees inland. In Espejo, for example, a temperature of 40.4 degrees was measured on 4 September. On the coast, due to the southern wind, the warmest day was 6 September, with a record of 34.6 degrees.