Changes

During the initial phases of the pandemic, there were more infections in the north of Spain, which has colder night-time temperatures than the southern half of the country and the Mediterranean coast. It also spread more quickly in big cities, such as Madrid and Bilbao, where air quality is poorer than in less populated areas. The contrasting temperatures in February on the maps on ''[[:File:Average Spain_Average-February temperature 1981-2010temperature_1981-2010_map_18405_eng.jpg|Average February temperature 1981-2010]]'' and ''[[:File:Spain_Average-February-temperature_2020_map_18393_eng.jpg|Average February temperature 2020]]'' clearly depict these facts. In March 2020, however, the previously settled atmospheric conditions gave way to instability, frequent storms and rain. Consequently, just as the state of alarm was enacted and the population went into lockdown, the unstable atmospheric conditions and reduction in human activity combined to clean the air and reduce pollution levels. Despite this, the cooler temperatures bred more favourable conditions for the spread of the virus.

The geographical distribution of the year-on-year variation (2020 vs 2019) in electricity production shows some significant facts (see the map on ''[[:File:Electricity Spain_Electricity-production -and -year--on--year varation-variation_2019-2020_map_18577_eng.jpg|Electricity production and year-on-year variation]]''), e.g. the hefty impact of the pandemic on standard consumption patterns in coastal tourist areas, where energy production fell in line with the fall in demand. Variations in production were minimal in provinces with nuclear power plants. By contrast, favourable weather conditions in 2020 enabled excellent renewable energy production (water, sun and wind); hence provinces with a higher capacity for this type of energy saw their production levels increase compared to 2019.

Petroleum product consumption in Spain clearly decreased in 2020 compared to the previous year (see the graph on the ''[[:File:Evolution Spain_Evolution-in -petroleum -product consumption. January-September 2019consumption_2019-20202020_statisticalgraph_18579_eng.jpg|Evolution in petroleum product consumption. January-September 2019-2020]]''). It shall be noted that the Spanish economy began to gradually recover in 2016 from the double recession back in 2008-2013, and this was reflected in the performance of energy consumption indicators in the years prior to the pandemic. However, 2020 brought a sharp halt to this recovery process. The fall was particularly steep during lockdown (from March to May), and figures for 2019 were not recovered until the end of 2020 as new waves of the virus necessitated ongoing restrictions on economic activity and on the general running of Spanish society for most of the year. The sudden halt in private travel had severe outcomes on diesel and petrol consumption, especially the former, and the fall in kerosene consumption was also striking as the sharp drop in commercial flights and tourism extended beyond the spring 2020 shutdown.