Just looking back at my most recent photos and there seem to be a lot of blue skies and wonderful sunrises and sunsets. It has been a gloriously hot summer - the longest heatwave ever recorded although the max temperatures have been higher in other years.
This is taken from El País - the English version:
This year will go down as one of Spain’s hottest in history. According to figures compiled by the Spanish State Meteorological Agency (Aemet),
the annual average temperature in the country up until November 30 was
16.5ºC – about 0.8ºC higher than the average between 1981 and 2010.
Aemet states that 2015 is the fourth hottest year on record in Spain – only last year, 2006 and 2011 saw higher average temperatures.
This summer was also the country’s second-hottest since 1961 and included the longest heatwave ever recorded.
Spaniards are also experiencing one of the driest periods on record, Aemet said in a report released Thursday.
Between December 1 and 14, average rainfall was 485 millimeters – around 20 percent lower than average. The dry period has been blamed on a lack of rain during the second half of spring and during November.
This fall has been particularly dry, with 18 percent less rainfall than other years. Aemet said the autumn of 2015 has been the fifth driest on record after those of 2004, 2007, 2009 and 2013.
That explains the blue skies and lack of snow on the mountains. We were in Berja on December 15th for some shopping and took a quick pic of their Christmas tree as we drove through town, John driving very slowly, then a quick stop for this picture before the man behind beeped at us. It's probably very pretty when it's lit up at night.
Aemet states that 2015 is the fourth hottest year on record in Spain – only last year, 2006 and 2011 saw higher average temperatures.
This summer was also the country’s second-hottest since 1961 and included the longest heatwave ever recorded.
Spaniards are also experiencing one of the driest periods on record, Aemet said in a report released Thursday.
Between December 1 and 14, average rainfall was 485 millimeters – around 20 percent lower than average. The dry period has been blamed on a lack of rain during the second half of spring and during November.
This fall has been particularly dry, with 18 percent less rainfall than other years. Aemet said the autumn of 2015 has been the fifth driest on record after those of 2004, 2007, 2009 and 2013.
That explains the blue skies and lack of snow on the mountains. We were in Berja on December 15th for some shopping and took a quick pic of their Christmas tree as we drove through town, John driving very slowly, then a quick stop for this picture before the man behind beeped at us. It's probably very pretty when it's lit up at night.
On the way home along the A348 and just before we turned off towards Cherín and then Ugíjar, I took a photo through the windscreen, of the very un-snowy hills ahead of us. Normally those hills would be snow-capped.
Up on the ski slopes of the Sierra Nevada, well it doesn't look too snowy there either. Webcam links are here.
Only 6 out of 21 ski lifts open, only 8 out of 124 pistas, visibility is clear, and the temperatures way up there - from 2100m to about 2625m which is maybe 9000 feet high - are between 2 and 11 degrees. And there is a lot of green to be seen.
I leave you with a final sunrise, yes another one, sorry! But the mornings are so colourful I can't resist taking a picture.
And finally, the pine arch on our terrace.
Whereas Christmas Eve - Nochebuena - is traditionally a quiet one spent indoors with family, New Years Eve - Nochevieja - is an occasion for going out. At midnight as the chimes of the Puerta del Sol clock in Madrid strike, it is traditional to eat 12 grapes, one for each chime. A custom known as las uvas de la suerte or las doce uvas. Small tins of peeled grapes are in the shops, unfortunately we don't have any - will sultanas do instead?
Happy New Year to everyone, lets hope it's a good one. Enjoy New Years Eve or Nochevieja - let's eat, drink and be merry!
Up on the ski slopes of the Sierra Nevada, well it doesn't look too snowy there either. Webcam links are here.
Only 6 out of 21 ski lifts open, only 8 out of 124 pistas, visibility is clear, and the temperatures way up there - from 2100m to about 2625m which is maybe 9000 feet high - are between 2 and 11 degrees. And there is a lot of green to be seen.
I leave you with a final sunrise, yes another one, sorry! But the mornings are so colourful I can't resist taking a picture.
And finally, the pine arch on our terrace.
Whereas Christmas Eve - Nochebuena - is traditionally a quiet one spent indoors with family, New Years Eve - Nochevieja - is an occasion for going out. At midnight as the chimes of the Puerta del Sol clock in Madrid strike, it is traditional to eat 12 grapes, one for each chime. A custom known as las uvas de la suerte or las doce uvas. Small tins of peeled grapes are in the shops, unfortunately we don't have any - will sultanas do instead?
Happy New Year to everyone, lets hope it's a good one. Enjoy New Years Eve or Nochevieja - let's eat, drink and be merry!
