MADRID – Those who plan to come to Spain during the May holidays must prepare themselves for higher temperatures. Meteorologists predict an ‘Iberian oven’ next week with temperatures that are normal for the month of July.
Even though we are still in April, the mercury in the usually warmer places will climb to 36 degrees Celsius in the second half of the week. However, first, we have to go through some changes this coming weekend. These are caused by a front that will cross the peninsula with rain on Saturday.
In general, however, showers will be weak and sparse. Then, from Sunday, the atmosphere stabilises, temperatures rise and the – as weather site eltiempo.es calls it – ‘Iberian oven’ turns on.
What will the weather be like next week?
Temperatures will start to rise again from Sunday 23 April. In much of the southwest of the peninsula, such as Extremadura, most of Castilla-La Mancha and Andalucia and the south of the Community of Madrid, it could exceed 25ºC. These temperatures could also cross that border in the interior of Catalonia and the Murcia region. And in the Guadalquivir Valley, they could also reach 30ºC.
Temperatures will continue to rise and on Monday the maximum will approach 30ºC in many areas. At points along the Guadiana River passing through Badajoz, it will get warmer than that. The highest temperature that day is expected in the valley of the Guadalquivir. On Monday, the maximum temperature in Seville will already be 33ºC.
The mercury continues to rise between Tuesday and Thursday. In many inland cities, temperatures of around 30ºC will be reached. This includes Ciudad Real, Cáceres and Salamanca, among others. On Tuesday, April 25, at points in the provinces of Seville or Córdoba, the peninsula’s first 35ºC of the year could be reached. However, this temperature has already been exceeded in the Canary Islands this month.
Depending on the area, a ceiling could be reached between Wednesday and Thursday. However, models indicate that temperatures will remain very high for several more days.
Highs on Wednesday the 26th and also on Thursday could exceed 30ºC on both plateaus, in the Ebro Valley and also at points in the southeast of the peninsula. In the Guadalquivir Valley, it will most likely be 35 degrees.
Outside this situation of higher temperatures for the time of the year, the Cantabrian regions remain more stable. The weather is milder there. In concrete terms, the thermometers will be around the maximum of 20-25ºC.
How long will the heat last?
For now, according to eltiempo.es, the hot episode seems to last from next Monday to Thursday or Friday. This kind of situation is not normal, although it has happened before. For example, in April 2011, a warm air mass caused maxima of 37.4ºC in Murcia. In April 1997 Seville recorded its maximum for April, with 35.4ºC.
Also read: High water temperatures continue in the Mediterranean Sea
