Spain prepares for first heatwave of the summer: Weather forecast July 16-19

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Tropical nights and daytime temperatures of up to 44ºC are forecast in several parts of Spain this week

Weather warnings for extreme heat on Thursday July 18

The beginning of these dog days, which will last until August 15, will give rise to the first proper episode of widespread high temperatures, according to the State Meteorological Agency, and could even be the precursor to the first real heatwave of the season.

A large anticyclone located in Algeria will intensify and spread westwards this week, inducing a southerly flow from Wednesday onwards that will introduce a “very warm, dry and stable” air mass over mainland Spain and the Balearic Islands, explained an Aemet meteorologist.

This means that many municipalities in Spain can expect highs of at least 40ºC in the middle of the day along with tropical nights.

Between Thursday July 18 and the weekend, the mercury will continue to shoot up, reaching far higher temperatures than we’re used to this time of year. On Thursday itself, very few places will remain below 36ºC and the mercury will once again creep well past the 40ºC-mark in large parts of Andalucía.

The peak of this episode will be Friday July 19, when minimum temperatures will also be high, not falling below 24ºC in most of the southeast. Throughout the day, temperatures will fluctuate between 40 and 44ºC in capitals such as Albacete, Badajoz, Cáceres, Ciudad Real, Córdoba, Granada, Guadalajara, Lleida, Jaén, Logroño, Madrid, Murcia, Sevilla, Toledo, Teruel and Zaragoza, among others.

Given that these sky-high temperatures are expected to persist for three or four consecutive days, Spain is more than likely facing 2024’s first heatwave.

Image: Aemet