‘It spiked by 3C in 90 minutes’: Weather expert casts doubt on accuracy of Spain’s new 46C June record 

A SPANISH weather expert has questioned a reading of 46C in the Huelva Village of El Granado near the Portuguese Border over the weekend. 

Aemet’s national weather agency in Spain, Aemet, has been asked by meteorologist Urko Jalle to release the metadata and photos to settle this debate. This would put a spanner on what was touted as Spain’s warmest June day ever. 

Aemet, the national weather agency, hailed the figure as the new record for this month. It was recorded on June 28th, in the midst of a heatwave that swept across Europe.

READ MORE Spain’s new June provisional record is 46C, while Portugal and France are on red alert.

Jalle raised some eyebrows when he suggested that the measurement may not be accurate.

You can also find out more about the following: La Meteo del Norte forecaster pointed to a puzzling discrepancy of between 2-4C from the El Granado and those from nearby official stations, including 42.5C at Villanueva del Fresno 95km away and 43C at Cerro Andévalo 50km away. 

El Granado is not in the village but 10 kilometres to the northwest, right on the Portuguese border. It’s perched 60 metres above the sea on a slope that runs from south-southwest, near the Chanza reservoir. 

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This spot, Jalle argues, could be a heat trap, basking in direct afternoon sun and suffering from poor ventilation – factors that might skew the mercury relative to neighbouring temperature stations.

Experts’ suspicions are heightened by the unusual temperature spike at the station, which jumped 3C in 90 minutes and reached 46C local time at 4.43pm. 

The temperature rose suddenly by 3C from 3pm to 4.30pm. It reached 46C at 4.43pm Spain-time.

“It’s a very unusual temperature, and it is inconsistent with the rest”

What could be causing this sudden spike?

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He speculates that this could be due to inadequate maintenance. Plants or buildings may block airflow. It’s also possible there is a local microclimate. However, he believes the latter unlikely because of the 100-200 metre difference in elevation with the surrounding area. 

Jalle argues that it’s difficult to justify 46C, when the nearby stations are at best 44-45C. She urges AEMET to release the metadata and photos to settle the debate.

For locals and tourists in southern Spain, where heatwaves are no stranger, the record’s accuracy is a matter of great importance – especially as the region braces for more sizzling summers. 

Aemet is yet to confirm the 46C reading officially, so it remains a provisional record.

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