19 December 2006
This year is on track to be the warmest on record in Spain, a country which was already hot before global warming set in, the government said on Tuesday.
So far this year, temperatures have been 1.46 degrees Celsius above the 1961-1990 average as a searing summer gave way to mild autumn and winter, the Environment Ministry said.
Experts warn global warming will be especially painful for Spain, and some have even forecast its southern beaches could become too hot for tourists later this century.
Last year the country logged its driest year since records began and this December started with a few hardy daisies still to be found growing in Madrid parks where many trees have still to lose their leaves.
According to environment ministry models, central Spain is due to heat up more than any other region in Europe -- a further 4.5 degrees by 2100.
Most scientists now agree that world average temperatures may rise by between two and six degrees this century due to emissions of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels for power and transport.
Last week the Netherlands said it was on track for its warmest temperatures since records began 300 years ago, and a British study said 2006 would be the sixth-warmest worldwide since records began.
