After a colder and rainier spring than in previous years, the first episode of extreme heat will hit Spain this week, with only a few regions being spared.
Spanish State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) has confirmed that this week much of Spain will experience summer-like temperatures, even though we’re still very much in spring.
The national weather agency explained that this is down to a combination of high pressure, intense sun and hot air masses sweeping over from North Africa.
Calima or haze made from sand particles from the Sahara is also expected in some parts of the country.
Aemet has warned that many inland areas of the Iberian Peninsula could be more than 5C above normal for this time of year.
Starting on Wednesday May 29th, temperatures will begin to exceed 35C in several locations across the the country.
During Tuesday and Wednesday, the highest temperatures of the year so far will be felt in places such as Ciudad Real, Córdoba, Seville, Toledo, Jaén, and Badajoz. The mercury could reach 40C in Andalusia on Wednesday.
Thursday and Friday, May 29th and 30th, are set to be the hottest days of the week with daytime highs 5C to 10C above normal, and tropical nights above 20C.
The hottest cities on these days are likely to be Seville and Córdoba, where the mercury will likely reach 40C.
Highs in the central Iberian Peninsula and the Ebro Valley are also expected rise to between 36C and 38C.
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Many more towns and cities will see highs above 35C during those two days according to AEMET including Albacete, Guadalajara, Huelva, Huesca, Murcia, Granada, Valladolid, Zamora, Cáceres, Logroño, Madrid, Lleida and Zaragoza.
And in the Balearic Islands, temperatures are also predicted to exceed 30C.
Only Spain’s northern regions and the Canary Islands will be spared from this dramatic rise in temperatures.
The heat is expected to lower slightly starting Saturday June 1st, although the first half of June will continue with warmer than usual for this time of year.
In 2024, Spain recorded its third-hottest year since records began with numerous heatwaves across the country.
That year the first official heatwave didn’t arrive until July, however 2023 saw the first sweltering temperatures arrive as early as April.
Some meteorologists are preferring to refer to this latest rise in high temperatures as an “episode of heat” rather than a heatwave.
That’s because to be officially considered una ola de calor (a heatwave) in Spain, temperatures must be abnormally high for the time of year, they must persist for at least three consecutive days, and they must significantly affect a large part of the country .
