Balearic and Canary Islands buck the trend in March

MADRID
THE National Met Office reported yesterday that March had been a warm month right across the country with rainfall above average on the mainland. In the Balearics and the Canary Islands meanwhile, normal rainfall for the time of year was accompanied by colder temperatures.

Average temperatures were particularly warm across many areas of Spain's Atlantic coastline, the southern half of the Peninsula and southern areas of Galicia and Castilla y Leon. In the Balearics, said the Met Office, March was overall a cold month.

For the Atlantic facing area of Spain, the maximum temperatures were the fifth highest on record since 1961, with the southern areas of these regions reinforcing the trend of March being distinctly warmer than usual. In the same areas, minimum temperatures were also noticeably warm, whilst in the Mediterranean basin of the mainland, minimum temperatures were normal for the time of year. The Canary Islands distinguished themselves by having higher than average minimum temperatures but the maximum reached tended to be under par.

The Met Office said that throughout March, the weather was particularly variable. The first ten days were normal for Spain at that time of year but they were followed by a particularly warm period which extended almost right round the country until the start of the final week of the month.

The second ten days of March saw some exceptionally hot weather in the Canary Islands rivalling the maximum temperatures registered in 1961, whilst new record maximum temperatures along the Atlantic seaboard were the hottest for the past 50 years.

Normality appeared to return for the final third of March although the Met Office said that it considered that the Mediterranean coastal areas and the Balearic Islands had been especially cold for the time of year. Reports showed that the last four days of the month were significantly cold with average temperatures a full three degrees below normal in the northern half of the mainland more than two degrees under par in the southern half.

There was generalised rainfall throughout the country in the first five days of March followed by a long period of very little rainfall over the mainland and the Balearic Islands up until the 22nd. Rainfall then began on the 27th in the north and northeast becoming increasingly heavy in the following days over the Mediterranean coastline and in the Balearics.