A city in one of the most popular holiday hotspots in Spain is hoping for rain after recording an extremely warm Christmas period.
Following an analysis of the average temperatures and rainfall across the past 12 months, the Spanish weather agency AEMET confirmed that for the Malaga province – of which the homonymous city is part – 2023 has been one of the hottest and driest years since record-keeping began in 1961.
The city, home to 571,026 people and located in the autonomous region of Andalusia in southern Spain, suffered a particularly dry period between September and November.
Over the course of these three months in 2023, a total of 28 litres per square metre of precipitation fell in the area of the Malaga Airport.
The majority of rain was recorded in October – 24 litres, a minimal part when compared to the 61-litre average. Only four litres of rain per square metre fell in September, compared to a 25-litre average.
The month supposed to be the wettest in the autumn season, November, saw no rain at all falling in the city – while the average usually sees rainfall equal to 79 litres per square metre.
AEMET director Jesús Riesco highlighted how important it is for rain to fall in Malaga and the rest of Spain over the coming months to avoid an environmental and economic disaster.
He told Málaga Hoy: “If it rains normally we’d have problems, but if it doesn’t rain normally, those problems would be even more serious.”
The production of olive oil could be severely harmed in the near future if rain fails to fall – and mark a catastrophe for the industry after the 2022/2023 harvest was deemed the smallest of the 21st century.
The preliminary estimate for the 2023/2024 crop year from regional authorities has forecast olive oil production in Andalusia – the world’s largest olive oil-producing region – may rise only by 7 percent from last year’s historic low.
Dry conditions in Malaga came with scorching temperatures. The area reached the fourth-highest temperature ever recorded on July 12, when the thermometer hit 43.3C.
The average highs at Malaga Airport this summer rose to 32.4C. In 2022, the average maximum temperature recorded there had been 31.8C.
Even more concerningly, on December 12, Malaga recorded the highest temperature in history for the month – an almost blistering 29.8C.
While forecasts are expecting a cold front to hit the Malaga province, which includes the cities of Marbella, Mijas and Benalmádena much-beloved by British tourists, this week the city appears to still be experiencing sunny and breezy days, with highs ranging between 15C to 17C.
