What was already expected of the week will become reality in Spain. As of today, extremely high temperatures and tropical nights are predicted, i.e. the first summer heatwave in Spain. The Spanish weather service issues weather alerts until Tuesday.
It is not the first time this year that it has been so hot in Spain. In mid-March it was already abnormally warm, and several cities in southern Spain already reached 30 degrees. At the end of April, more than a hundred heat records were broken in Spain with temperatures that normally only occur in July.
Period of weather extremes in Spain
However, at the end of May, a DANA ended this warm period and there was even severe flooding due to heavy and prolonged rainfall in Spain. Furthermore, in many places it became abnormally cold for the time of year and several cities were hit by massive hailstorms and storms. In mid-June it suddenly became warm again, but there was no heatwave. The first day of the current heatwave is expected from today. For the time being, the Spanish weather service Aemet expects this heatwave to continue until Wednesday or Thursday.
Heatwave in almost all of Spain
According to Spanish standards, a heatwave is defined when the maximum temperature is 32 degrees Celsius or higher in a certain area for at least three consecutive days. In addition, there must also be night temperatures that remain above a certain threshold, usually around 25 degrees.
On Sunday, temperatures will rise to around 43 degrees in Seville, Cordoba and Badajoz. And in the centre and north of Spain, the temperature gauges will touch 40 degrees. The Aemet will issue various weather warnings on Sunday morning due to high temperatures and local thunderstorms. There is code yellow in Castile y León, Murcia, La Rioja and Valencia and even code orange due to the heat and locally severe thunderstorms in parts of Andalucia, Aragon, Castile La Mancha, Catalonia, Extremadura and Madrid.
In Spain, the meaning of code yellow and code orange is as follows:
Code yellow
This is usually used to indicate an increased risk of high temperatures. It could mean warm weather is expected with temperatures above normal but not yet extreme enough to be considered a serious hazard. It is a warning to be careful and to stay informed about the weather conditions.
Code orange
This code is used when there is extreme heat and there is a significant risk to people’s health and well-being. It may mean very high temperatures are expected that could be dangerous, especially for vulnerable groups such as the elderly, children and people with health problems. With code orange, the advice given is to take extra precautions, such as sufficient hydration, seeking shade, limiting physical exertion and following instructions from the authorities.
Extreme temperatures last almost all week
On Monday it is expected to cool down slightly in the northern part of Spain. Temperatures at that time will vary from 23 degrees in the extreme north and northwest, but quickly rise to 40 degrees towards the centre of Spain. In the southern part of the peninsula, however, it could get even warmer, up to 44 degrees in Seville. This will not change much on Tuesday and Wednesday. Towards the end of the week, however, it may cool down slightly, but it remains above 35 degrees in the southern part of Spain.
On Monday and Tuesday, the Aemet code yellow and orange will remain due to high temperatures and thunderstorms in the south, central and locally in northeastern Spain.
