Lorraine Williamson
AEMET recorded 40.9°C at Almonte in Huelva and 40.2°C at Fuentes de Andalucía in Seville this afternoon, during another exceptionally hot start to September.
The intense heat is affecting large areas of southern and north-eastern Spain, while other parts of the country face thunderstorms and unsettled conditions.
AEMET has activated weather warnings in 14 autonomous communities for high temperatures and/or storms, with maximum temperatures around 40°C expected in parts of the south and north-east.
Temperatures exceed 40°C in Andalucía
Sunday afternoon observations from AEMET show some areas have already exceeded the temperatures originally forecast.
At Almonte in Huelva province, the temperature reached 40.9°C at 2.40 pm, while Fuentes de Andalucía in Seville recorded 40.2°C at 3.00 pm.
Écija reached 39.7°C, while Jerez de la Frontera Airport also recorded 39.7°C and Seville Airport reached 39.6°C by mid-afternoon.
Orange heat warnings are in force in areas of Córdoba, Jaén and Seville, including the Córdoba and Seville countryside and parts of the Guadalquivir Valley.
Yellow warnings also affect areas of Cádiz, Granada and Huelva.
The orange warnings were scheduled between 1.00 pm and 9.00 pm, with AEMET forecasting temperatures of up to 40°C. Yellow warning areas could see maximums of between 38°C and 39°C.
Heat and storms divide Spain
The weather picture is markedly different elsewhere.
While southern and north-eastern Spain continue to experience unusually high temperatures, warnings for thunderstorms have also been activated in several parts of the country.
AEMET expects temperatures to remain particularly high in areas of the Guadalquivir and Ebro valleys and parts of the Mediterranean region.
The continuing heat comes at a time when temperatures would normally be beginning to moderate following the peak summer months, making the persistence of values around or above 40°C particularly notable for early September.
Coastal warning in Cádiz
The heat is not the only weather hazard affecting Andalucía.
A yellow coastal warning is also in place around Cádiz and the Strait of Gibraltar, where easterly winds could reach 50 to 61 km/h offshore, particularly west of Tarifa and south of Trafalgar.
Anyone travelling or spending prolonged periods outdoors in affected areas should continue to check AEMET warnings, particularly as conditions can change during the afternoon and evening.
After several days of intense September heat, attention will now turn to when temperatures finally begin to fall and whether increasing atmospheric instability brings a more widespread change in Spain’s weather.