Spain recorded its joint-highest September temperature on Thursday, with 45.7C measured in the southwestern town of El Granado as exceptional heat grips the country, according to Spain’s State Meteorological Agency (AEMET).The temperature matched the September record of 45.7C set in Montoro in 2016. Both towns are located in the southern region of Andalusia.Thursday’s reading was also the highest temperature recorded in Spain so far this year, as summer-like heat exceeding 40C has swept across large parts of the country’s south and west this week.AEMET also said on Thursday that the country experienced its hottest January-to-August period on record, “with a clear difference” compared with the next four warmest periods, all recorded in the previous four years.”It is an unmistakable sign that, in Spain, warming is accelerating,” the agency said.AEMET had previously reported that July was Spain’s joint-hottest month on record.Extreme heat has been linked to thousands of excess deaths across the continent, with Spain’s public health institute registering nearly 4,500 heat-related deaths since 1 June.Drought and low river levels have also disrupted economic activity, while temperature records have been broken across Europe.Spain is urging the European Commission to make climate adaptation a key economic and security priority, arguing that Europe can no longer rely on reactive measures as extreme weather becomes more frequent and costly, according to documents seen by Euronews.