Spanish heatwave to break 40 degree mark by Steph Ball
Spain is currently in the grip of a heatwave with temperatures forecast to break the 40C (104F) mark.
An influx of hot air from Africa has sent temperatures soaring over the last few days, with the heat felt as far north as Madrid. On Thursday temperatures reached 36C (97F) in Madrid, but it is further south where temperatures were highest. Cordoba and Seville both reached 39C (102F), with values set to climb further here.
Spain’s State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) is forecasting temperatures of 41C (106F) today in the Badajoz, Cordoba, Seville and Jaen regions. This has prompted the issue of orange alert warnings (second highest warning) for extreme heat.
This week AEMET declared that they are expecting a hot summer across southern Spain, with temperatures rising one and a half degrees above the seasonal average. Temperatures however are not expected to match those of the 2003 heatwave which caused thousands of deaths across Europe.
Spain is not the only country to be suffering. This week has also seen temperatures soaring across the Mediterranean, in Italy and the western Balkans. Across the Balkans meteorologists warn that the heatwave will be unrelenting over the next few weeks and could see the highest temperatures for a century. In Spain, the hot weather is expected to continue beyond the weekend and into next week.
