February 2020 was "very warm or extremely warm in the Canary Islands" - La Provincia

The February was altogether extremely warm, with an average temperature over Spain of 11.5ºC, a value that remains 3ºC above the average for this month, taking the period between 1981 and 2010 as the reference period, as reported by the State Meteorological Agency (AEMET), dependent on Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge.

So, this February was the warmest since the beginning of the series in 1965, tied with the month of February 1990. The high values ​​of the maximum temperatures which were recorded in February: the average of these temperatures has been 17.5ºC, around 4ºC above normal. Exceeds the previous record of the February series by 0.5ºC, which so far corresponded to February 1990.

AEMET It details that February was very warm or extremely warm in practically the entire Spanish peninsular territory. In the Balearic Islands it was very warm, and in Canary Islands Very warm or extremely warm. The maximum daily temperatures were an average of 3.9ºC above the normal value of February, while the daily minimums were 2.1ºC higher than normal, resulting in a daily thermal oscillation 1.8ºC higher than the normal of the month .

During all the February month the maximum daily temperatures were above normal values, with especially high values ​​being recorded for the time of the year during the first four days of the month and between the 21st and 25th.

The minimum temperatures were above normal values ​​throughout the month except on days 19 to 21. In Canary Islands The high temperatures, both maximum and minimum, that were recorded during the calm episode of the days 22 to 25, stand out, due to an intense irruption of Saharan dust with strong east component winds.

In 35 main observatories of the Meteorology Statal Agency The average temperature was the highest for a month of February since the beginning of the series. Likewise, in 31 main observatories the monthly average of the maximum daily temperatures was the highest in the series, and in 8 observatories the average of the minimum daily temperatures exceeded the previous highest value of the February series.

February, the driest since 1965

On the other hand, rainfall was scarce in most of Spain since it has only rained 17% of normal, with an average rainfall over Spain of 9 liters per square meter, while the normal value stands at 53 liters per square meter, taking the period between 1981 and 2010 as the reference period.

Therefore, this month has turned out to be the driest February since 1965, followed by the years 1997, 2000 and 1990, all with a monthly rainfall of less than 15 liters per square meter.

During the month there was no episode highlighted by intensity or abundance of rainfall. Such was the shortage of precipitation, that in 72% of the main observatories the accumulated precipitation of the month was less than 5 liters per square meter and only in 16% the precipitation exceeded 10 liters per square meter.

The number of foggy days, on the contrary and as a consequence of the persistence of the anticyclonic conditions, exceeded the normal value in more than 60% of the observatories, with more notable differences in Galicia, Guipúzcoa, Madrid and both plateaus, and even in Ceuta and Melilla.