Three ways Spain owned summer 2015

Spain has enjoyed a memorable summer, and it’s not over yet…

Recent sodden downpours aside, Spain continues to enjoy summertime living, and will bless its residents with shorts and t-shirt weather well into November, and sometimes beyond.

While most of the rest of Europe cranks up the knob on the central heating and switches out their flip-flops for something a little more snug, Spain’s summer goes on. And the summer of 2015, while it doesn’t have quite the same ring as ’69, will go down as a memorable year in more ways than one…

1. The hottest July ever

The entire month of July was a scorcher across pretty much all of Spain.

When Spain breaks weather records, it tends to break European records. And although data has yet to be compiled about whether this July in Spain really was the hottest month ever recorded in Europe, the chances are high that it is at least a challenger.

Spain’s national weather agency confirmed in August that the three separate heatwaves that descended across the country in July served to push Spain’s average temperature for the month above the record.

According to the AEMET agency, July’s average temperature was a balmy 26.5 degrees Celsius, beating out August 2003 when the record stood at 26.2 Celsius.

The Costa del Sol managed an average of 28.2 degrees Celsius, with both Seville and Córdoba registering 45.2 degrees Celsius in early July.

2. More tourists than ever

The first seven months of the year saw 38 million tourists visit Spain – a record.

By the time the peak of summer had hit, more than 38 million tourists had flocked to Spain to enjoy its multitude of attractions.

Official figures show that Spain’s summer season was a record-breaker for visitor numbers, beating 2014’s performance by 4.7 per cent. Brits have once again showed their enduring love for Spain so far this year, with nine million checking into Spain by the end of July and many more sure to come.

A relatively weak euro in comparison to the pound made Spain a particularly attractive destination for Brits, while the terrorist attack in Tunisia and the economic crisis of Greece served to steer many thousands more tourists Spain’s way – and the country handled this extra influx with its usual aplomb.

3. Ever-increasing property transactions

Homes have begun changing hands in increasing numbers across the Costa del Sol.

In June, the National Statistics Institute (INE) revealed that property transactions rose by 19.4 per cent this year compared to the same month in 2014, with more than 37,000 houses changing hands.

Although this figure is a drop in the ocean compared to the peak months of 2006 and 2007, it represented an encouraging upturn in the market, and was further proof that the property market in Spain has reached a period of stability and growth.

This summer also saw property prices increase by around two per cent nationally, with the Costa del Sol once again leading the charge.

Summer is a wonderful time to be in Spain, and this year’s instalment was a particularly impressive one… and it is not done just yet…