Spain’s Valencia registers driest spring since 1927

OVIEDO, Spain

For the first time since 1927, not a single drop of rain fell on the city of Valencia in April, Spain's meteorological agency reported on Friday.

This rare phenomenon has only occurred three times since record-keeping began over a century and a half ago: in 1899, 1927, and 2023.

Adding to the concern, Valencia has not seen any rainfall since March 5 – exactly two months ago.

In the broader region of Valencia, some areas have not received any rain since Feb. 8.

The unusually dry weather coincides with record heat. In April, parts of the Valencia region, such as Xativa, broke local records for the hottest day on record, with temperatures soaring to 36.2 C (97.2 F).

Although Spain's meteorological agency AEMET has not released comprehensive data for all the regions, it has confirmed that April was the hottest and driest on record for Andalusia.

Records dating back to 1961 were easily surpassed, with temperatures 3.9 C above average. The southern region, particularly hard hit by the drought, also received only 4% of its usual rainfall.

While this hot, dry weather is exacerbating Spain’s long-term drought and wreaking havoc on many crops, it has caused solar energy production to skyrocket.

In April, the country produced 3.563 gigawatts of solar energy – a 38% increase compared to April 2022 and 5.4% more than the previous monthly record set last July, according to data from Red Electrica.

In total, renewable energy made up 52.1% of Spain's electricity generation, while nuclear energy accounted for an additional 21.7%.