Fiona Govan
SPAIN’S Meteorological Agency has warned that the first official heatwave of 2022 is set to sweep across the peninsula and Balearic Islands this weekend sending the mercury above 40ºC.
According to AEMET, in order for a spell of extreme heat to be classified as a heatwave it has to affect the majority of the country and last for an extended period of time, which explains why previous days of extreme heat haven’t received this classification so far this year.
These conditions will be met over the next few days in what is expected to be 2022’s first ‘ola de calor’ as a heatwave is known in Spanish.
State weather agency, Aemet, warned that the heatwave would begin in Friday when temperatures would soar to between 35 and 38ºC in some parts of Spain including Guadalquivir, Guadiana, Tagus and Ebro valleys.
It said temperatures could reach as high as 42ºC in localised areas.
Those regions likely to experience the hottest temperature are Andalucia, Castilla La Mancha and Aragón.
Chief weatherman and Aemet spokesmans, Rubén Del Campo explained that Spain was “at the gates of an episode of very intense heat”.
He warned that temperatures would remain high even during night-time hours and would not drop below 25ºC in many places.
The heatwave is predicted to begin on Friday, June 10, continue over the weekend and last until at least Tuesday when the mercury would begin to slide.
Highs of 40ºC are likely in Badajoz, Córdoba and Seville while in Cáceres, Jaén, Ciudad Real, Granada, Madrid, Toledo, and Zaragoza, temperatures are likely to between 36ºC and 39ºC on Friday rising several degrees higher over the weekend.
Aemet said these temperatures were between 5 and 10 degrees higher than the average for this time of year.
“We are facing an unusual situation for mid-June,” explained del Campo adding that it was likely to make June one of the hottest on record.
Spain is considered to be at high risk of forest fire during the heatwave with people urged to be extremely vigilant.
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