Spain's temperature drop after the eclipse is down to an Atlantic low
A drop of up to 7 degrees follows the eclipse, but the cause is an Atlantic low, not the Moon.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
The temperature drop after the eclipse: what's behind the cooler weather
Is the eclipse to blame for the change in the weather? Forecasts point to a drop of up to 7 degrees in the coming days, but the meteorological explanation has nothing to do with the lunar transit. The formation of a low over the North Atlantic on 13 and 14 August and the arrival of a pocket of cooler air are what's giving the heat a break.
An Atlantic low will push the heat away
Forecast models are already pointing to the formation of a low over the North Atlantic in mid-August. By the weekend, that pocket of cool air will stretch out and push temperatures 6 or 7 degrees below current values. It's no anomaly: the maps have been pointing to this shift in the atmospheric pattern for weeks, with rain already appearing in parts of eastern Spain, from the mountains of Albacete and Murcia to Navarre.
The eclipse: a coincidence that sells headlines
A rocky satellite passing in front of the Sun for a few minutes has no power to move air masses. The link between the eclipse and the cooler weather is pure confirmation bias: when the heat is on, any excuse will do to announce relief. The reality is more prosaic: the days are getting shorter, sunshine is losing strength and Atlantic lows are beginning their seasonal descent. Blaming the phenomenon on the lunar transit is like blaming the Moon for the tides: true in another context, irrelevant here.
The second half of August: storms and cooler weather
Historically, the second half of August brings a change in the weather across much of Spain. Storms and the instability typical of summer's final stretch are classic, with episodes of gota fría, or DANA (isolated high-level cut-off lows). In the north, highs may stay at 21-24 degrees and nights turn cooler. There's still the veranillo de San Miguel (a late-summer warm spell) at the end of September, but meteorological summer's days are numbered.
So when you see the thermometer fall, don't thank the eclipse. Better to look at the pressure maps: the atmosphere has been warning for weeks that summer is ending. The Moon, meanwhile, will carry on with its own business.
Is the eclipse to blame for the change in the weather? Forecasts point to a drop of up to 7 degrees in the coming days, but the meteorological explanation has nothing to do with the lunar transit. The formation of a low over the North Atlantic on 13 and 14 August and the arrival of a pocket of cooler air are what's giving the heat a break.
An Atlantic low will push the heat away
Forecast models are already pointing to the formation of a low over the North Atlantic in mid-August. By the weekend, that pocket of cool air will stretch out and push temperatures 6 or 7 degrees below current values. It's no anomaly: the maps have been pointing to this shift in the atmospheric pattern for weeks, with rain already appearing in parts of eastern Spain, from the mountains of Albacete and Murcia to Navarre.
The eclipse: a coincidence that sells headlines
A rocky satellite passing in front of the Sun for a few minutes has no power to move air masses. The link between the eclipse and the cooler weather is pure confirmation bias: when the heat is on, any excuse will do to announce relief. The reality is more prosaic: the days are getting shorter, sunshine is losing strength and Atlantic lows are beginning their seasonal descent. Blaming the phenomenon on the lunar transit is like blaming the Moon for the tides: true in another context, irrelevant here.
The second half of August: storms and cooler weather
Historically, the second half of August brings a change in the weather across much of Spain. Storms and the instability typical of summer's final stretch are classic, with episodes of gota fría, or DANA (isolated high-level cut-off lows). In the north, highs may stay at 21-24 degrees and nights turn cooler. There's still the veranillo de San Miguel (a late-summer warm spell) at the end of September, but meteorological summer's days are numbered.
So when you see the thermometer fall, don't thank the eclipse. Better to look at the pressure maps: the atmosphere has been warning for weeks that summer is ending. The Moon, meanwhile, will carry on with its own business.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (67 replies).
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