Spain’s Hottest, Driest April on Record
In April 2022, Spain logged its hottest and driest April since records began — extreme heat scorching olive blossom at the worst possible moment, foreshadowing a halved crop.
What happened
Spain’s weather agency AEMET confirmed April 2022 as the hottest and driest April since records began in 1961, with only about 22% of normal rainfall. The heat struck during olive flowering in the world’s largest producer — burning blossom and all but guaranteeing a poor harvest.
This is the single clearest example of why spring matters more than autumn for olive prices. The crop wasn’t lost at harvest; it was lost in April, in the flowers. A scorched bloom is oil that will never exist — and the reason a bottle would cost so much by year’s end.
Source, April 2022: Anadolu Agency.