MARBELLA – For tomorrow, Wednesday, code red applies for heat thanks to the very warm ‘terral’ wind in the province of Malaga and on the Costa del Sol. This is already the second red heat warning this month.
Meteorologists predict temperatures above 42 degrees in Malaga and in the towns of Costa del Sol; Torremolinos, Benalmadena, Mijas, Marbella and Estepona. Code red also applies to the immediate interior at places such as Alhaurín de la Torre, Alhaurin el Grande, Coín, Monda, Guaro and Ojén. It will be slightly less warm with temperatures around 40ºC east of Malaga in the Axarquía region and north of Malaga in Antequera. Therefore, code orange will apply here for Wednesday.
Mercilessly warm offshore wind
The heat will be especially merciless because of the offshore wind, also called ‘terral’ in this part of Spain. Where the north wind often provides refreshment, this is not the case in the Spanish summer because this wind has warmed up considerably during its journey over land. Once arrived in southern Spain, it almost feels like a hair dryer in the hottest setting. Moreover, the annoying thing about Terral wind is that it hardly cools down at night. It is suspected that the highest value for the highest minimum temperature will be broken on Wednesday at the measuring station at Malaga airport.
Code red for heat is quite rare on the coast
A red alert for heat is quite rare in this part of the province. The coastal zones are normally spared from the worst heat due to their location by the sea. The weather alert applies on Wednesday from 1.00 pm to 9.00 pm.
Code yellow applies in the province of Malaga for the area around Ronda. There the mercury rises to 38 degrees.
While the worst of the heat will subside in the rest of Spain from Wednesday, the hot wind in the extreme south will continue to dominate until Friday. Lighting will only follow from Saturday. The warmest will be Wednesday.
What to do?
With this warning of ‘extreme risk’ when performing daily activities, staying indoors or seeking shade during the hottest hours of the day is advised. Drink plenty of water and closely watch the elderly, small children and people in poor health. Click on this link for tips on how to sleep during a heat wave.
