Hottest June since 1950

IT will come as no surprise to anyone who has been living in Valencia during the past month that June 2022 has been the hottest on record since 1950. Temperatures were, on average, 3 degrees above the norm for this time of year, and it has also been particularly dry, according to the State Meteorological Agency AEMET (Agencia Estatal de Meteorología).

The chart from the AEMET website clearly shows how June has been getting progressively warmer over the past 20 years. The full AEMET report can be viewed online here via Cadena Ser radio.

Last month the average temperature, 23.9 ºC, was 3ºC higher than the climate reference period. June 2022 was the warmest June since at least 1950, surpassing the exceptionally hot June 2003, while the accumulated rainfall was 9.7 l/m2, which is 66% less than normal.
That said, there was however, a big difference between the first twenty days of the month, which were 4.2°C above the norm and the last ten days, which were cool, with temperatures 1ºC lower than average.

The highest temperatures were recorded on the 17th, when the mercury rose to 42.6 ºC in Xàtiva, 42.5 in Sumacàrcer, 42 in Moixent and above 40 in Jalance, Atzeneta del Maestrat, Utiel and Llíria. On that day, 39.3 ºC was recorded at Valencia airport, the highest temperature ever recorded at this observatory since records began in 1966.

Low rainfall
There was very little rainfall throughout the region during the month of June, although two storms stood out; that of the 21st, which especially affected Alcoy and El Comtat, with large size hail stones and accumulated rainfall of 22.2 l/m2 in Alcoy and 23.6 in Gaianes. The storm of the 27th, also brought extremely heavy rainfall in the areas of La Plana. There was 49 l/m2 accumulated rainfall in Borriana, 48 in Les Alqueries, 44.6 in Vila–real and 39.2 in Castellón de la Plana.