Climate change threatens Spanish islands and coastal breezes

Recent scientific studies highlight the growing impact of climate change on Spanish ecosystems and coastal weather patterns. An international study, involving the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), identifies the Galician islands of Arousa and A Toxa as critical points of exposure to biodiversity threats by 2050. On Arousa, climate change, land-use changes, and invasive species are expected to have similar impacts, while A Toxa and Isla Conejera face primary threats from urbanization and biological invasions.

Simultaneously, research spanning 41 years of meteorological data reveals that sea breezes along the Andalusian coast are weakening. In provinces such as Almería and Málaga, the intensity of these natural cooling mechanisms has decreased by 21%, a higher rate than the Mediterranean average. Scientists note a paradox where Mediterranean warming causes these breezes to appear more frequently but with significantly less strength, potentially exacerbating extreme heat episodes in the region.