The month of March 2023 has already gone down in history as the second warmest and driest of the 21st century in Spain, and the third warmest since records began in 1961, according to the latest climate balance from the State Meteorological Agency. (Aemet). Despite the episode of cold that occurred in the first week of the month, temperatures rose rapidly from the 7th to exceeding the normal average, touching 38°C in parts of the Canary Islands on the 30th.

Furthermore, March has been very dry in most of the peninsular territory, except in Galicia, the southwest of Castilla y León and Extremadura, as well as in the Balearic and Canary Islands. The data, with an average precipitation value over mainland Spain of 21.2 mm (36% of the normal value for the month) have kept the meteorological drought active since December of last year.

The average temperature in mainland Spain in March was 11.6°C, a value that is 1.8°C above the average for this month, according to the reference period 1991-2020 established by the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (Miteco).