30 degree weather for Easter? Welcome to Spain

This Easter promises to be a scorcher in Spain.

Death, taxes, saturated media coverage of pre-election posturing – these are life’s certainties, with death probably the least painful of the three.

Just missing the cut on the certainty stakes is Spain’s weather. Nearly uniformly excellent and uplifting, it can – occasionally – surprise you…

Some winters are wonderfully mild, for example. Then there are those August anomalies – weeks where the mercury dips below 20c, prompting media outlets to send their hardiest reporters to the beaches of the Costa Brava to report on this gloomy phenomenon like a comedy show skit realised.

Scorchio, indeed. But normally, Spain’s weather is something you can set your watch and wardrobe by. This time of the year, the end of March and early April, is actually one of the least predictable periods. As Spring yields to summer at some point over the coming weeks, the mercury, like an ill-advised package holiday to Greece, can range from 18 to 30.

So what’s in store for Semana Santa (Holy Week) this year? Well, early reports suggest that most of Spain is set to bask in 30-degree heat for the entire week, with the country’s meteorological agency (AEMET) issuing a map of Spain that is dotted completely with golden orbs.

“Temperatures will rise progressively throughout the week until by Good Friday, they will be above average for this time of year – maximum temperatures will reach 30 degrees in the middle of the country,” said a statement on AEMET’s website.

Ordinarily, Easter on the Costa del Sol offers the first glimpse of proper warmth, but usually in the 22-26c range, making this year rather hotter than average, which is sure to spell good news for local hoteliers and those working in the tourism industry.