On July 31st, one of the hottest days so far this summer in much of Spain, international charity Greenpeace recorded stifling temperatures of up to 63.5C in the Plaza Mayor, 54.8C in Puerta del Sol and 65C in Callao.

This has caused them to speak out, stating that there’s an “imperative need” make Madrid greener.  

Thermographic cameras have been recording extreme heat across the city.  According to Greenpeace and countless other scientists, these heatwaves can be mitigated by having plenty of vegetation cover, “which can reduce the temperature up to 12C”.

“Madrid and the rest of the cities need to greenify themselves to fight against extreme heat”, they said.   

Spain is again experiencing an intense heatwave with record-breaking night time temperatures, and part of the reason that it’s gotten so bad in Madrid recently is due to its lack of trees, even worse, the city has actually be cutting them down.

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In 2023, there were protests against the city’s plans to fell more than 1,000 trees in two popular parks in south-west Madrid to make way for a new metro line.  

Environmentalists and locals managed to save some of them, but there were still many that were lost. The presence of mature trees is one of the best measures against extreme heat,” says Greenpeace.  

The charity has also been recording the heat levels in the central Plaza Santa Ana, where a new carpark, promoted Madrid City Council “threatens 85 percent of its trees”. They cite this as an “example of what not to do in terms of adaptation to climate change”.  

In addition, when the city announced its new plans for the revamp of the famous Puerta del Sol, it failed to include the planting of any trees.

Now, one of the hottest spots in the city during the stifling summer months, the council has been forced to look for alternative solutions to provide shade.  

When it was suggested they add trees and the idea was presented to the Local Historical Heritage Commission, it ruled that these trees did not make sense because “their location did not respond to urban planning or heritage criteria”.  

Madrid authorities has instead given the go-ahead to awnings for the Puerta del Sol next summer.

Leading scientists believe trees can help mitigate the severity and frequency of what are known as “heat islands” in cities across the globe, including the Spanish Higher Centre for Scientific Research (CSIC), which have said that urban trees have the capacity to improve human thermal comfort and that it should be a priority.  

Many in the Spanish capital blame the current situation on the liberal policies of their president Isabel Díaz Ayuso and mayor José Luis Almeida, who have changed laws to make felling trees easier as a means of freeing up urban space for construction companies on.

City hall data shows that Madrid has lost more than 36,000 tress since Almeida became mayor in 2019.

READ ALSO: How the fate of Madrid’s trees hinges on voters