What constitutes a heatwave in Spain? This is the criteria that must be met – as the country braces for another scorcher next week

THE first official heatwave of the Spanish summer so far came to an end on Saturday, as rain arrived in the north of the peninsula. 

But more scorching weather is to come next week, with a second heatwave likely. 

But what is a heatwave? How are they defined by the Aemet state meteorological agency?

To qualify as an official heatwave, the exceptionally hot weather must last for three days or more, affect 10% of meteorological measuring stations, and have an intensity where the maximum temperature ranges are above the 95th percentile. 

Read more: Spain unearths weather report from exactly 92 years ago today and the temperatures are unrecognisable – in some towns it even snowed

While the first heatwave ended yesterday, Aemet is predicting that a second is on the way.

From tomorrow Monday, July 22, to Sunday, July 28, the skies in Spain will have little cloud, apart from in the north, and very high temperatures. 

The mercury will rise in particular in the west and the central areas of the peninsula on Monday, but by Tuesday the increase will be felt in nearly all of the country, with highs exceeding 35ºC in inland areas of the peninsula, in particular in the south, according to the Tiempo.com website. 

Whether the weather will qualify as an official heatwave is yet to be seen, but the forecasts suggest that the hot weather will stay for the rest of July and the start of August.