, Columnist
Spain’s Heatflation Will Burn Through European Wallets
The country produces substantial amounts of the continent’s food. The long drought threatens to keep prices high.
No rain in Spain: This used to be a reservoir.
Photographer: JORGE GUERRERO/AFPThis article is for subscribers only.
In Europe, nothing screams “climate crisis” like an extreme heat alert in the spring.
Temperatures in the southern tip of Spain reached 38.7C on Thursday, provisionally breaking the record for the hottest day ever set in April. As a point of comparison, the average temperature in that month was 14.2C between 1991 and 2020 for Andalucia, where the record was set. The country is on alert as temperatures remain high, humidity is low and winds strong: perfect wildfire conditions.