Thursday was the hottest April day ever documented in Spain, with temperatures reaching 38.8 degrees Celsius, according to the country's meteorological service.
Just after 15:00 local time (14:00 BST), the record was attained at the airport in Cordoba, southern Spain.
The country has been sweltering under a heatwave for days, with temperatures 10 to 15 degrees Celsius above average for April.
It was powered by a meteorological system that was moving slowly and a mass of extremely hot air from Africa.
Experts were taken aback by the severity of the recent heat wave in southern Spain.
Schools will be permitted to adjust their schedules to avoid the hottest parts of the day. To avoid long waits on the platform, there are more frequent underground trains in Madrid, and public swimming pools are anticipated to open a month earlier than usual.
Poverty is the primary explanation for why there are more fatalities associated with extreme temperatures. Income has the strongest correlation with the impact of heat on daily mortality.
As a result of climate change exacerbating naturally high temperatures, heatwaves are also occurring in a number of global locations.
Currently, many regions of Spain are warmer than average, in contrast to many regions of Britain.
The hot weather in North Africa is transferring heat to Europe. Over the Iberian peninsula, a high pressure weather system and clear skies are allowing more sunlight to reach the earth, which is already so dry that it cannot evaporate the heat.
In many regions of Spain, the elevated temperatures compound the persistent drought. The Guadalquivir basin's reservoirs are only at 25% capacity.
This combination increases the likelihood of early forest fires, and the national weather service has issued a warning that significant portions of the country are at risk. In 2022, more territory was burned in Spain than in any other European nation.
According to experts in the field, this inferno is very likely influenced by global warming.
In addition to the effects on young and elderly, agriculture is also a concern.
Due to the persistent lack of precipitation, many producers are experiencing difficulties, and the Spanish government has asked the European Union for financial assistance.
As a result of dry conditions, some landowners have stated that they will not cultivate crops, which could have implications for Europe's food supply.
The heat wave that Spain is experiencing is not an outlier. The elevated temperatures in the first few months of this year have broken records all over the globe.
On the very first day of this year, eight countries in central and eastern Europe set new records for the warmest January weather.
In recent weeks, countries across Asia have experienced extreme temperatures. On 15 April, the temperature in northwest Thailand reached 45,4°C, while in Laos it reached 42.7°C.
The temperature in Bangladesh's capital, Dhaka, rose above 40 degrees Celsius on what is believed to be the warmest day in 58 years.
El Nio is another factor that will likely influence global weather over the next few months.
This will cause the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Peru to generate more heat. If this occurs, 2024 could become the warmest year on record, with more cyclones, fires, and floods.
