Spain third summer heatwave AEMET starts this week, with temperatures set to jump above 40 degrees in parts of the east of the mainland, the Balearics and inland areas. Rubén del Campo, the Meteorological Agency spokesperson, said the eastern half and the Balearics will feel the heat first, while the west of the mainland stays nearer normal levels.
Del Campo said temperatures on Tuesday will generally exceed 36 to 38 degrees in the eastern half and the Balearics. He added that Pamplona, Logroño, Lleida, Zaragoza, Teruel and Murcia could reach 38 to 40 degrees.
Rubén del Campo and Wednesday
On Wednesday, temperatures are expected to rise further, most sharply in the Mediterranean area of the mainland, the Balearics and Andalusia. Madrid, Castellón and Barcelona will reach 35 degrees, while Valencia and Seville will reach 37 degrees. Lleida, Zaragoza and Murcia could exceed 40 to 42 degrees.
That leaves a split forecast across Spain: the east and Balearics face the highest readings, while the west of the mainland stays hot but around the normal average. Del Campo said the contrast will hold through the week, with the most intense heat concentrated in the areas already running above average.
Pyrenees and the Ebro Depression
Alongside the heat, showers with severe thunderstorms and hail may develop in Galicia and Asturias and in the eastern interior of the mainland and mountainous areas. Dust in the east of the mainland and the Balearics will create haze, cloud the skies, reduce visibility and worsen air quality.
Thursday and Friday are likely to bring atmospheric instability, with rain and showers in the Cantabrian regions and the Pyrenees. The rain and showers may be locally heavy and could spread to other areas in the east and centre of the mainland, while Del Campo said the weekend could bring a widespread rise in temperatures and a new spell of intense heat.
By then, maximum temperatures could exceed 36 to 38 degrees across large parts of the north of the mainland and the Balearics, and 38 to 40 degrees in the centre and the southern half. In low-lying areas and valleys in the centre and south of the mainland, temperatures could even exceed 42 degrees.
