Ski Resorts Struggle Due to 30-Degree Heat During Winter

① Midsummer Weather in Spain in December

Spain, which should be entering early winter, is experiencing midsummer weather.
On the 12th, the December temperature in the southern city of Malaga, Spain, rose to 29.9 degrees Celsius (85.8 degrees Fahrenheit).
This unusual high-temperature phenomenon appeared as a warm current crossing the Iberian Peninsula continued for several days.
In various parts of southern Spain, the temperature even rose to 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit).
This is 2 degrees higher than the previous highest temperature for December in the region.

In Spain, mid-December to mid-March is considered winter.
The southern temperature is usually around 8 to 18 degrees Celsius (46.4 to 64.4 degrees Fahrenheit) during this period, but this year the heatwave continues.
The Spanish Meteorological Agency reported, “One of the warmest air masses ever recorded in December has hit Spain.”
They even predicted that hardly any rain would fall until the end of February.

Despite it being winter, people in the southern region are spending time on the beach.
If you are planning a trip to Spain or Europe, you need to check that the weather is hotter than expected.

② Disappearing Winter Ski Resorts

Spain has been suffering from high temperatures since the beginning of the year.
It’s mid-winter, but still feels like summer.
In the southern city of Cordoba, the temperature reached 38.8 degrees Celsius (101.8 degrees Fahrenheit) in April, which is spring, but the heatwave continued.
This is 10 to 15 degrees higher than the expected temperature, indicating a serious level.

The average temperature in Spain from March to June was 14.2 degrees Celsius (57.5 degrees Fahrenheit).
This was 1.8 degrees higher than the average temperature for the same period from 1991 to 2020.

The winter sports sector in Spain is currently in a state of emergency due to the high-temperature phenomenon.
Ski resorts, in particular, took a major hit.
At the ski resort Navacerrada on the outskirts of Madrid, the Spanish capital, there was no snowfall, making skiing impossible.
Visitors complained, but there was no practical solution.

In the ski resort, which should be covered in white snow everywhere, grass is growing lushly instead of snow.
A marine biologist said, “This place should be covered in snow or frozen, but now it’s green and the grass is lush,” adding, “It feels scary.” The ski resort eventually had no choice but to close its doors.

Last winter, high-temperature phenomena appeared not only in Spain but also across Europe.
The high temperatures in Europe made the ski resorts in the Alps suffer.
They couldn’t even operate the ski resorts due to a lack of snow.

At the ski resort, only a small part of the slope had barely any snow, and mud and grass fields extended on both sides.
According to Le Monde in France, the ski lift operators’ union announced that they could only operate half of the ski slopes during this winter vacation.
The ski resorts in the Alps began to make artificial snow, but it was of no use.
They eventually had to close the slopes and couldn’t start operations.

Medium and low-altitude ski resorts began to seek alternatives, such as converting ski slopes into mountain bike trails.
In Adelboden, Switzerland, they announced that they would proceed with the Ski World Cup by sprinkling artificial snow due to lack of snow.

③ Nearly 40 Degrees in Summer

Europe, which continues to have warm weather even in winter, experienced temperatures over 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) this summer due to extreme heat.
A heatwave hit the European continent, resulting in severe heatwaves.
They struggled with unseasonal weather, where winter didn’t feel like winter and spring didn’t feel like spring.

In London, the temperature was about 10 to 15 degrees higher than the average temperature.
The London Transport Authority even warned, “Londoners should not use the city’s transport network unless it is essential to travel as extreme heat is expected throughout next week.”

The UK Department of Health raised the heatwave alert to the highest level 4, equivalent to a national emergency.
In some areas of Spain, the temperature soared to 45.7 degrees Celsius (114.2 degrees Fahrenheit), resulting in many deaths due to the heatwave.

Spain has been suffering from a 40-degree Celsius (104-degree Fahrenheit) heatwave since April.
The Spanish government was even at the point of requesting emergency financial support from the EU.
Spain suffered greatly from the heatwave as rainfall significantly decreased, causing serious damage to farms.

The nationwide water reserve was only 50%, and 27% of Spanish territory was in a drought emergency or alert level.
Spain experienced severe fluctuations in vegetable prices due to the abnormal heat in the fall.

Experts have analyzed that the heat, which was supposed to come around 2050 due to global warming, has come 30 years earlier.
According to the Spanish National Meteorological Agency, the frequency of heatwaves in Spain has increased about three times in the last decade.
Since 1980, the summer weather has been increasing by 10 days every 10 years.

By. Min Jae Kim