After summer rainstorms, Spain set for a new heat wave

After an unseasonable cool spell that brought some summer rain to the Iberian peninsula, the hot weather is back with a vengeance. The Spanish meteorology agency Aemet has warned that a heat wave will affect much of the country from Wednesday to Friday at the very least.

The mercury is expected to rise by as much as 10?C compared with Monday temperatures. The southern cities of Ja¨¦n and C¨®rdoba, in the Andalusia region, are bracing for highs of 42.6?C and 44.3?C respectively on Thursday. Granada is also expecting highs of between 42?C and 44?C.

The ups and downs that we have experienced are extraordinary Delia Guti¨¦rrez, Spanish national weather agency

There could still be scattered showers on Tuesday in parts of the peninsula, but these will end on Wednesday, said Delia Guti¨¦rrez, a spokeswoman for Aemet.

¡°As the atmosphere becomes more stable, the air gets hotter, and temperatures will rise a lot, and very fast,¡± she said. ¡°We could be talking about 8-10?C hotter than Monday, depending on the area.¡±

Although the difference will be felt everywhere, even in the cooler northern regions, the heat will be particularly intense in inland parts of southern Spain ¨C particularly Andalusia, the south of Extremadura and the south of Castilla-La Mancha. The provinces of Badajoz, Huelva, Seville, Ciudad Real and Albacete will all register a stifling 40?C and higher.

The weather agency notes that there is nothing out of the ordinary about this heat wave, which ¡°is typical for a month of July.¡±

¡°What¡¯s extraordinary, rather, is the ups and downs that we have experienced: first a few very hot days, followed by a drop in temperatures and intense rainstorms, and again a sudden rise,¡± said Guti¨¦rrez.

Spain went through its first heat wave of the year in June.

English version by Susana Urra.