Heatwave warnings: Temperatures in parts of Spain reach highest on record for May

Parts of Spain are experiencing the hottest temperatures in May since records began, with the Spanish government advising people to keep hydrated and wear light clothing.

During the extreme heatwave, due to a mass of hot air blowing in from Africa, the government in Spain is also advising that a close eye be kept on children, pregnant women and older and chronically ill people.

Spain’s state meteorological agency, Aemet, has said of a weekend heatwave of “extraordinary intensity”, with temperatures between 10C and 15C above the seasonal average, feeling more like high summer than mid-May.

“The early hours of 21 May have been extraordinarily hot for the time of year across a good part of the centre and south of the peninsula,” Aemet said on Saturday. “In many places the temperature did not fall below 25C, something practically unheard of in May.”

On Friday, May 19, the mercury at Seville airport reached 41C, while another Jaen, Andalucia, logged its first May temperature of over 40C as the thermometers registered an unprecedented 40.3C – nearly 2C above the previous record.

Much of Spain is on yellow alert, meaning that while there is no “meteorological risk for the population”, some activities could be hazardous.

While the heat was intense yesterday, May 21, the peak is expected today, when temperatures in the north-eastern Ebro valley could reach an unheard-of 39C, reports The Guardian.

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