Ibiza and Formentera have had a “very warm” autumn. So says the Balearic delegation of the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet), which on Thursday presented its balance of the autumn and the forecasts for the winter that is already in doors. If the autumn has been tinged with a certain tropical air meteorologically speaking, the coming Christmas will be “warm”, according to meteorologists.
With one week to go before the arrival of the coldest season of the year, autumn has left a total of 21 tropical nights, “four more than normal”, which is an increase of 24% over those recorded in the same period of 2023. It is normal that many have resisted, until a few days ago, to put on the comforter. And not only the nights: “The highest minimum temperatures were tropical, as they did not go below 23 degrees at the airport of Ibiza and 22.8 degrees in Formentera”. In both cases, these heats were recorded last September 26. That’s only with respect to the minimums because the maximums of autumn rather look like usual summer temperatures in the Pitiusas. The thermometer rose to 32.6 degrees on October 2 in Sant Joan, data that in addition to being the highest of the station “equals the record of October 2013, with a data series since 1993, 31 years ago”. In the case of Formentera the day that the mercury rose the most was the same, October 2, when it reached 21.1 degrees.
“Autumn has been very warm in the Pitiusas,” said the Aemet, which continues, “In Ibiza the average temperature of the quarter was 21.1 degrees with an anomaly of 1.3 degrees compared to normal values.” In the case of Formentera, the difference with the usual average did not reach one degree (0.8) and was somewhat higher than in Ibiza: 21.3 degrees.
By months, the explanation of the meteorological agency makes it clear that the further you advance in the autumn, the more abnormal the heat that has been recorded: “September was normal, October very warm and extremely warm November”. In other words, if we take into account the anomaly of temperatures with respect to normal values, “the warmest month of autumn was November”, with an average of 16.9 degrees (2.4 above normal). From the data collected so far in December, the agency qualifies, for the moment, this month as “warm”. The ninth day was the one with the lowest temperatures of the season, “with maximums of 14.6 and minimums of 2.4”.
Regarding rainfallthe autumn has been dry and windy. Slightly dry in Ibiza, with 12% less rainfall (164 liters per square meter when the usual is 185) and dry in Formentera, where the drop in rainfall was even greater: 37% to go from the usual 132 liters to just 88. This despite the rains in November, described by the Aemet as “rainy”. The maximum rainfall of the season occurred on November 12 both in Ibiza, when 63.3 liters fell in the thermal power plant, and in Formentera (38.2). That day, in addition, a marine sleeve was sighted from Santa Eulària, indicates the balance, which also details that this autumn there have been 17 days of strong wind, “five more than normal”, and that the strongest gusts, 78 kilometers per hour, were recorded in Ibiza on the 21st at the airport and that same day also in Formentera: 66 km / h. Wind from the west, in both cases.
The Aemet forecasts for the Pitiusas foresee a winter “with higher temperatures than usual” and with “normal” rainfall. If the usual for the Pitiusas winter is an average of 11 degrees, the agency’s meteorologists expect that the one recorded in the first quarter of 2025 “will be above this value”. “In the course of the quarter it is most likely that most of the days temperatures will be above normal, although there may also be days that will be below,” said the Aemet, which also calculates that rainfall will be the usual between January and March: about 100 liters per square meter.
The Christmas season will not bring many weather surprises, “according to the numerical models with which the Aemet counts”. The maximum at this time will be around 15 degrees and the minimum will be around 7. As for rainfall … normal for late December, about 28 liters per square meter.
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