Its official – 2022 the hottest and the third driest on record

AEMET, Spain’s meteorological agency, has declared 2022 the hottest and third  driest on record and the year in which the third lowest amount of rain fell.

According to the agency on December 21, the year (2022) is the first time that the average temperature for the entire year had risen above 15C.

The hottest daytime temperature was also recorded this year, with at least ten towns breaking the previous record. Unusually warm nights were also a feature of the year, helping to contribute to the average temperature exceeding 15C.

The four hottest years since records began back in 1961, have all occurred since 2015 with forecasts for more abnormally hot weather in the future.

Despite some good rainfall, 2022 is the third driest on record with lower rainfall only having occurred in 2005 and 2017.

2022 was an unusually dry and warm year throughout Europe with wildfires scorching hundreds of thousands of hectares and destroying crops. Many people also lost their lives in the scorching infernos.

Water restrictions remain in some parts which authorities had hoped to lift, but not all reservoirs are back to normal levels.

Climate change is blamed for making 2022 the hottest and third driest on record.

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