UK tourists visiting Spain have been warned to prepare for extreme heat over the coming week, as severe weather alerts have been issued across large parts of the country. Spain's weather agency AEMET has issued yellow and amber alerts, with temperatures forecast to surpass 40°C.
Heatwave Driven by High Pressure
The Met Office explained that a strong area of high pressure building over continental Europe is driving the heatwave. This high pressure promotes widespread sinking air, which suppresses cloud formation, allows for prolonged sunshine, and leads to increasing temperatures through compressional heating.
Because of this, temperatures across much of central and western Europe will rise steadily, pushing well beyond seasonal norms. In many cases, temperatures are expected to reach around 10°C above average for mid-June, highlighting the unusual nature of this early summer heat event.
Alerts Across Spain
On Sunday, June 21, most of mainland Spain and the Balearic Islands have been issued yellow or amber extreme heat warnings. Amber alerts, which signify 'major risk', are in force in parts of Mallorca, and in areas in Andalusia, Aragon, Castilla-La Mancha, Catalonia, Madrid, and the Basque Country.
In the areas hit with an amber alert, AEMET has said temperatures could reach as high as 42°C. Less severe yellow alerts are in force across parts of Rioja, Navarre, Galicia, Estremadura, Castile and Leon, and Cantabria, where temperatures could peak at 39°C.
Thunderstorms and Canary Islands
Ahead of Sunday, AEMET has also issued yellow warnings for thunderstorms on Saturday, June 20 across parts of northern and central Spain, including Villaverde and Cantabria. While there are currently no weather alerts in force across the Canary Islands, a heatwave is expected to hit the Spanish archipelago. Forecasts suggest that temperatures are likely to exceed 35°C across large parts of the Canary Islands, which include Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, La Palma, La Gomera, and El Hierro.
It comes as parts of the UK have been forecast to reach as high as 34°C at times over the coming days, with yellow and amber UKHSA heat-health alerts in force across the country.
