The current heatwave gripping Spain is set to continue until at least the end of the week, with temperatures already reaching 43.2 degrees celsius, the country’s meteorological agency AEMET said on Wednesday.
The scorching heat wave is the hottest on record for early June and the earliest of such intensity to hit Spain in decades, EURACTIV’s partner EFE reported.
Weather warnings are in place for all but two of Spain’s regions – Asturias in the north and the Canary Islands in the Atlantic, while half of the country is on alert for temperatures above 40 degrees celsius.
The mercury has shot up in thermometres across the country since the weekend, with temperatures as high as 43.2 degrees celsius detected in Almadén, a town in central Spain, on Sunday (12 June).
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The afterglow of the day’s heat extends well into the night in some places, such as Osuna, in southern Spain, where a minimum temperature of 25.6 degrees celsius was in the early hours of Monday morning (13 June).
In addition to the heat, the mass of warm and dusty African air is causing hazy skies.
AEMET has warned of tropical and “torrid” nights in parts of north-central Spain while temperatures could stay above 25 degrees celsius in cities like Madrid and Toledo, as well as parts of Andalusia and Extremadura.
The arrival of a low-pressure system, however, is expected to drop temperatures over the upcoming weekend.
Source: EURACTIV.com