WEATHER – The last weekend of spring was cold in Spain, with maximum temperatures between 7 and 11 degrees Celsius. Rain also fell across much of the country. The astronomical summer in Spain began cool and with showers.
The last weekend of spring was cold in Spain, with maximum temperatures between 7 and 11 degrees Celsius below normal. There was also rain across much of the country. The summer therefore started cool and with showers on 21 June. According to the Spanish national meteorological service AEMET, the weather improved from Thursday.
Differences were and remain large
AEMET spokesman Ruben del Campo emphasised that last weekend was very cold for the time of year. The highest temperature, 34 ºC, was reached on Saturday in the provincial capital Gerona. In contrast, the maximum on Sunday in Madrid, for example, was only 19 ºC.
In a large part of the middle and west of the country the mercury was between 7 and 11 ºC lower than normal on Sunday. However, there were fewer stormy showers than in the preceding days. The Pyrenees and around the Iberian Ridge were the exception, where there were showers, albeit slightly less intense than before.
Astronomical summer
The astronomical summer started cool at 05.34 on Monday morning with temperatures, at least in the northern half, belong more to the end of April than to mid-June. The cool temperatures will persist until Wednesday as a result of cool westerly and northerly winds. The rains – in the north of the country – are due to depressions in the high levels of the atmosphere. From Thursday onwards the showers will decrease again.
First half of the week
Tuesday the weather in the north will still be unstable, with rain and thunderstorms. In the Cantabrian Mountains the showers may be persistent and spread to other parts of northern and central Spain. It can be quite turbulent. Clouds are expected in the afternoon in the southern half of the country and on the Balearic Islands.
Temperatures will rise from Tuesday in western Spain, but in the northwest it will remain cool with maxima below 20 ºC. Around the Guadalquivir and in the Mediterranean the temperature can rise to 30º C. In Malaga, south of Alicante and in Murcia it can even reach 32º C.
Wednesday will see unstable weather especially in Aragon, Catalonia and Valencia, with locally heavy thunderstorms, especially from midday. Also in central Spain, parts of the southeast and the Balearic Islands there is a chance of unstable weather. Due to the abundant clouds, the temperature will drop in the eastern half and on the Balearic Islands.
In the western half, the weather service expects rising temperatures that will exceed 32º C on Wednesday, from Thursday the atmosphere will tend to stabilise and high pressure will prevail. It will be cloudless.
From Thursday warm in the south
The heat will be felt in the southern half of Spain from Thursday onwards, especially around the Guadalquivir River, where it will be over 35ºC. The little precipitation expected will fall in the far north.
For Friday the forecast is for clear skies and even warmer weather, which is likely to continue on Saturday in much of the country. Sunday’s weather will remain stable, although there is a chance of thunderstorms in the far north.
Canary Islands
Finally, this week in the Canary Islands, trade winds are expected, which will sometimes come up at strong intervals. Clouds will increase especially in the north of the most mountainous islands, temperatures will be stable.
