In the coming days, Spaniards will have to reckon with unusually high temperatures, even for this time of year. Almost all regions have declared alert levels.
People in a park in Madrid. In mid-June, the city also recorded extraordinarily high temperatures.
(dpa) Only around three weeks after the first severe heat wave, the inhabitants of Spain are groaning again under temperatures that are unusually high even for the sunny country in July. The new heat wave will peak between Tuesday and Thursday with temperatures of up to 44 degrees, the Aemet weather service warned. In 13 of a total of 17 of the so-called autonomous communities, the alarm levels were yellow, orange and partly red on Tuesday. The center and southwest of the holiday island of Mallorca were also affected with the “Ballermann”, where, according to Aemet, up to 36 degrees in the shade on Tuesday were to be expected.
In the cities, people sought refuge from the heat in fountains, ice cream parlors and fully air-conditioned shopping centers in the early morning, as reported by the media. In Madrid, for example, the mercury column should climb to 39 degrees on Tuesday, 41 on Wednesday and even 42 degrees on Thursday. 44 degrees were predicted for Thursday in the Tajo Valley southwest of the capital. According to Aemet, it should only remain relatively “cool” in the next few days with maximum temperatures between 25 and 35 degrees directly on the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts.
According to Aemet spokesman Rubén del Campo, heat waves are constantly increasing in Spain. This is due to human-caused climate change. The absolute record was only measured last August in Montoro in Andalusia: 47.4 degrees. Del Campo warns that the 50-degree mark will soon be reached.
In combination with a drought that has lasted for weeks and strong winds, the heat is promoting the outbreak and spread of forest fires. The currently worst fire raged on Tuesday in the municipality of Las Hurdes in the west of the country, not far from the border with Portugal. Around 400 people had to leave their homes threatened by the flames on the orders of the authorities, the state television broadcaster RTVE reported on Tuesday.