Spain basked in scorching temperatures on Thursday as residents sweltered in the warmest January day in Europe since records began.

In Calles in the Valencian Community a temperature of 30.7C was recorded, while in Gavarda, in the same region, the mercury hit 30C.

It marked the highest temperatures ever recorded in Europe in January, according to the Valencian Association of Meteorology.

Several Valencian towns saw temperatures that exceeded 29C, and even more reached 28C, in weather more typical of spring and summer than winter.

Images showed Valencian residents showering on the beach, sunbathing and taking a dip in the sea, while others sat in outdoor cafes to make the most of the unseasonable temperatures. 

Residents make the most of the unusually warm winter’s day on Malavarrosa beach in Valencia, Spain on Thursday

People walk along the sea shore at the Malvarrosa beach in Valencia, Spain on Thursday

The Valencian Association of Meteorology posted a map of temperatures across the region on Thursday

Marco Petagna, Media Advisor & Senior Operational Meteorologist UK Met Office, posted about the unusually high temperature on Thursday in the Valencian Community on X

Spain’s state meteorological agency AEMET reported that maximum temperatures recorded at an observatory in the Mediterranean region of Murcia reached 28.2C.

Many other parts of the country climbed to 20C – up to 10C above normal levels for the time of the year in some places.

Overnight temperatures have also been warmer than normal.

The mercury did not drop below 10C overnight on Wednesday in the small ski resort of Puerto de Navacerrada near Madrid, which is 6,200 feet above sea level and is normally covered in snow at this time of year.

But even those enjoying the unusually warm weather voiced concerns about climate change and the threat of new heatwaves. 

Scientists have linked scorching temperatures and dry and windy conditions in many parts of the world, including southern Europe, to climate change.

Last year was the second warmest on record in Spain after 2022 with consecutive heatwaves causing droughts and wildfires.

‘We’re a bit surprised that it’s so pleasantly warm… And it’s nice for us now, but we don’t think it’s completely normal,’ German tourist Thorsten Petersen, 66, said in downtown Madrid.

Adela, a local pensioner, added: ‘Those who say there is no climate change just have to look at what’s happening: it’s either too cold or too warm. I think this is a disaster.’

Footage showed people taking off their winter coats and some wearing shorts and T-shirts in the Spanish capital.

In neighbouring Portugal, the air warmed up the most in the central district of Leiria, reaching 23C, and the weather agency IPMA expected 24C there on Friday.

In the north, temperatures were 8 to 9C above normal levels, it said.

People enjoying the sun at the Malvarrosa beach in Valencia, Spain on Thursday

A group of women running into the sea during the unseasonably warm temperatures in Spain

A crowded beach as temperatures soared in Spain. The country also recorded unusually high temperatures in December

A towel seller walks on the Mavarrosa beach, in Valencia, Spain on Thursday

A woman taking a shower in a swimsuit in Valencia, Spain on Thursday

A topless man soaks up the sun on a promenade in Spain during the sweltering temperatures 

People sat in outdoor cafes to make the most of the high temperatures on Thursday

‘I think it’s because of the climate change,’ said French tourist Jane Dubois, standing by the River Tagus in Lisbon. ‘It’s our future so we have to protect the planet.’

Fabio Silvestre, visiting Lisbon with his small daughter from Italy, echoed the climate concerns.

He said: ‘I am a bit worried about my daughter… The weather is not normal like this.’

The winter heat, which has also affected southeast France, was caused by the presence of a powerful anticyclone above the Mediterranean, said David Corell, a researcher at the University of Valencia.

‘There are no studies yet that have evaluated the long-term trend of this type of event but it is clear that we are experiencing this type of abnormal situation more and more frequently,’ he told AFPTV.

Spain also recorded unusually high temperatures in December, with the mercury peaking at 29.9C in Malaga, a national record for the month.

The heat comes amid a prolonged drought affecting much of the country, especially the northeast region of Catalonia and the southwest region of Andalusia.

In Catalan capital of Barcelona, Spain’s second-largest city, water reservoir levels fell in mid-January to around 17 per cent of their capacity.

If they fall below 16 per cent of their capacity – which could be imminent – the region will declare a state of emergency.

After the world’s hottest year on record in 2023, last Thursday the global average temperature was at its highest level on record for that point in January at 13.1C, according to the University of Maine’s Climate Reanalyzer data. 

The Met Office warned in December that the average global temperature in 2024 could temporarily cross a 1.5C threshold, a critical climate warming benchmark, above preindustrial levels. 

The unusually high temperatures in Spain come as Britain has been hit by turbulent weather.

Storm Jocelyn – already the UK’s tenth storm in just five months – arrived on Tuesday and continued to thrash Britain with winds of up to 97mph.

It came just days after Storm Isha, which caused severe flooding, closed schools and tragically killed five people in the UK and Ireland.

This was preceded by Storm Henk, also in January, and seven other storms that have hit the British Isles since the start of September.