June no longer behaves in Barcelona like the month that traditionally marks the start of summer, as recorded for decades by the Fabra Observatory. The average temperature for this month has risen to 22.3 ºC in the first 25 years of the 21st century, while accumulated rainfall has fallen to an average of 28.2 liters per square meter in the first 24 years of the century.
The anomaly goes beyond the heat. That average of 22.3 ºC in June even surpasses the average temperature of up to 30 Julys in the observatory's century-long series, a crossover of records that summarizes the change in the city's climate pattern.
June's average temperature now exceeds dozens of Julys in the historical record
For much of the 20th century, June hovered around an average temperature of 20 ºC in Barcelona. Now, the 30-year moving average places that figure at 22.00 ºC in 2025, compared to the 19.73 ºC recorded in 2000.
The jump is also evident in recent extremes. A year ago, the Fabra Observatory recorded the historical record for average June temperature with a monthly average of 26.0 ºC.
This rise is reordering the comparison between months. June, which traditionally lagged behind July in the climate record, now presents an average in the 21st century that surpasses that of up to 30 Julys in the observatory's century-old archive.
June rainfall drops to less than 30 liters in recent years
At the same time, the average accumulated precipitation in June has dropped from around 40 liters per month to values close to or below 30 liters in recent years. The first 24 years of the 21st century show an average of 28.2 liters per square meter.
In addition to raining less, June has fewer days with significant precipitation. The trend affects both the total volume of water collected and the frequency of rainfall events.
The most similar precedent within the 21st century occurred outside of June. In July 2011, the observatory recorded an average temperature of 21.2 ºC and over 100 liters of rain, the only recent case with values that deviate from the more usual pattern.
The most extreme data point in the recent series arrived last year, when June ended with no precipitation at all for the entire month.