Too Hot to Sleep: Spain's Hottest Summer on Record

Key vocabulary

• dormirv.

  to sleep

  “El viernes no pude dormir por el calor.”— On Friday I couldn't sleep because of the heat.

  Pattern no poder dormir (cannot sleep)

  Compare descansar (to rest)

  Present: duermo, duermes, duerme; Past: dormí

  💡 dormir is an o→ue stem-changing verb, but there is no change in the past tense.

• calurosoadj.

  hot (weather)

  “Es el verano más caluroso desde que hay registros.”— It's the hottest summer since records began.

  Pattern noche calurosa (hot night)

  Compare cálido (hot)

  Feminine calurosa; plural calurosos/calurosas

  💡 Formed from calor (heat) plus the suffix -oso, meaning 'full of heat'.

• temperaturaf.

  temperature

  “El jueves España marcó la temperatura más alta del año.”— On Thursday Spain recorded the highest temperature of the year.

  Pattern temperatura máxima (maximum temperature)

  Compare calor (heat)

  Plural temperaturas

  💡 From Latin temperatura, cognate with English temperature.

• gradom.

  degree (temperature unit)

  “Hubo 39 grados a medianoche.”— It was 39 degrees at midnight.

  Pattern 45 grados (45 degrees)

  Plural grados

  💡 Often used with numbers to indicate temperature or angle.

• registrom.

  record (documented evidence)

  “Este es el verano más caluroso desde que hay registros.”— This is the hottest summer since records began.

  Pattern desde que hay registros (since records began)

  Compare récord (record)

  Plural registros

  💡 Noun form of the verb registrar (to record).

• muertef.

  death

  “El verano ha causado más de 5.200 muertes prematuras.”— The summer has caused more than 5,200 premature deaths.

  Pattern muerte prematura (premature death)

  Compare fallecimiento (death)

  Plural muertes

  💡 Related to the verb morir (to die); note the spelling.

• marcaf.

  record; brand

  “Ha roto más de 300 marcas históricas.”— It has broken more than 300 historical records.

  Pattern marca histórica (historic record)

  Compare récord (record)

  Plural marcas

  💡 In sports and weather, often means 'record', as in batir una marca (to break a record).

• nochef.

  night

  “Hubo noches tropicales con 39 grados.”— There were tropical nights with 39 degrees.

  Pattern noche tropical (tropical night, temperature not below 20 degrees)

  Compare madrugada (early morning)

  Plural noches

  💡 Related to buenas noches (good night).

• preocupanteadj.

  worrying, concerning

  “Todo esto es muy preocupante.”— All of this is very worrying.

  Pattern es preocupante (it is worrying)

  Compare alarmante (alarming)

  Plural preocupantes

  💡 Formed from the verb preocupar (to worry) plus -nte.

Grammar spotlight

Sentence patterns to steal

• Este es el verano más caluroso desde que hay registros.

  This is the hottest summer since records began.

  Este es el/la + noun + más + adjective + desde que + verbThe noun can be replaced with año, noche, día, etc.; the adjective can be replaced with frío, lluvioso, etc.

• Hubo noches tropicales con 39 grados a medianoche.

  There were tropical nights with 39 degrees at midnight.

  Hubo + plural noun + con + number + grados + a + timeThe noun can be replaced with días, tormentas, etc.; the time can be replaced with mediodía.

• Todo esto es muy preocupante.

  All of this is very worrying.

  Todo esto es muy + adjectiveThe adjective can be replaced with interesante, difícil, etc.