Much of Spain is back on alert for heatwaves and sizzling temperatures again this week, national weather agency Aemet warns, at a time when the country is batting numerous major wildfires.
Some parts of Spain may have had a brief drop in temperatures over the last couple of days, while in others it will seem like the last heatwave never ended.
The bad news, however, is that there is another ola de calor on its way – the fourth official heatwave of this summer.
READ ALSO: Where are the wildfires in Spain right now?
Spain’s State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) has forecast that temperatures will once again rise across most of the country, especially from Tuesday July 28th, when a new episode of very intense heat will begin.
Meteorologists warn this new wave could last for several days and have predicted that temperatures will be well above normal for the end of July.
This heatwave is due to affect large areas of the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands.
Both extreme highs and tropical nights of over 20C are expected during this time.
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On Tuesday July 28th, most of the country will be under yellow alert, while Extremadura and parts of Andalusia will be on orange alert.
Come Wednesday, most of the orange alerts move northwards towards Aragón, Navarre and inland Catalonia. It is expected the mercury will reach between 37 to 39C in those areas.
It’s worth noting that many places in Andalusia will also experience temperatures of around 40C, including Córdoba and Jaén.
Burgos, in Castilla y León, will also see stifling heat of 39C.
READ ALSO: Eight cooler places to escape the heat in Spain’s Andalusia
The only areas to escape these heat alerts in the first half of the week are parts of Galicia, costal Asturias and Cantabria, the area around León, southern Catalonia, coastal Valencia, and much of coastal Andalusia.
This doesn’t mean, however, that they will escape the heatwave towards the end of the week.
According to Aemet, the increase will be particularly notable in the second half of the week, when warm air masses will dominate weather patterns.
If this continues, forecasts from the agency have said that this July 2026 would tie with July 2022 as the warmest month on record in Spain.
This is especially significant, as the summer of 2022 was one of the hottest in recorded history.
This isn’t unfortunately where the bad news stops, as Aemet has also reported that 2026 is already the warmest year in Spain’s recorded history when comparing the periods between January and July.
READ ALSO: Spain registers hottest first half of summer on record
Since the beginning of the year, temperatures have consistently remained above average for the time of year.
This year’s heatwaves have already caused significant problems this summer with some of Spain’s largest and deadliest wildfires taking place across the country, particularly over the last few weeks.
Both Aemet and the Ministry of Health have warned about the health risks in extreme heat, particularly for the elderly, young children, people with chronic illnesses, and those who work outdoors.
Scientists warn that these heatwaves and episodes of extreme temperatures could worsen due to climate change and that they’re lasting for longer too.
