Aemet is keeping a special heatwave warning in force, the second this summer, with orange alerts in several regions and highs near 42°C in Andalusia, Extremadura and the Tagus valley over the weekend.
The orange alert level, signifying a significant danger, is in force today in Andalusia, Extremadura, Castilla-La Mancha, Catalonia, Galicia and Madrid. In Aragon, Castile and León and the Valencian Community the warning remains at yellow, indicating a lower level of risk.
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In Extremadura the orange alert covers the entire region, with temperatures forecast to hover around 40°C across almost all of its territory. A similar situation is expected in the Tagus valley in Castilla-La Mancha, where maximum temperatures close to that figure are also forecast.
In Andalusia, the worst-hit areas will be the Guadalquivir valley in Jaén, the Sierra Morena and Condado district, the plains of Córdoba and Seville, and the Andévalo and the coast of Huelva, with temperatures that in several places could approach 42°C during the hottest hours of the day.
The north is not spared either
Although the usual pattern places the most intense heat in the south and inland areas of the peninsula, this time Galicia also appears among the regions under an orange warning. Inland Ourense could reach 39°C, while the Rías Baixas in Pontevedra and the southwest of A Coruña are expected to hover around 37°C.
This is a marked anomaly in a region where such episodes tend to stand out precisely because they are so rare. In Madrid, the most severe warnings are concentrated in the Sierra, with up to 37°C, and in the metropolitan area and the Henares basin, where highs of 39°C are forecast.
A summer marked by repeated heatwaves
Spain’s meteorological agency Aemet issued a special heatwave warning after a steady rise in temperatures that began at the start of the week, and expects the episode to last at least until next Tuesday.
This is not an isolated case: meteorologists point out that of the twelve heatwaves recorded in June since comparable records began in 1975, half have occurred since 2015. The first heatwave of this summer, which lasted for much of June, was linked to hundreds of heat-related deaths, according to the Health Ministry’s monitoring system.
Health authorities are reiterating the usual advice for such episodes: avoid exercise and direct sun exposure in the middle of the day, stay well hydrated and pay particular attention to older people, children and those with chronic illnesses.
