Fire warning reactivated as temperatures set to rise above 40C across Spain

Just as we thought autumn might be upon us the weather once again tells us it has other ideas, with Aemet issuing orange warnings as the country is set to reach an unusually hot spell for September. AEMET has extended its orange warning through Friday, with up to 42C expected in the capital and the Vega and Alto Guadalquivir areas. 

The worst of the heat will be felt in inland southern Spain where temperatures will reach between to 42C – 43C while other parts of the country are also expected to see temperatures well above normal.

Córdoba remains under orange warning

Friday will be slightly cooler than Thursday in Córdoba, when temperatures are forecast to reach 43C, but the drop will offer little relief. The rest of Córdoba province will remain under a yellow warning for high temperatures.

AEMET expects the heat to continue beyond Friday, with temperatures in the capital remaining above 40C into the beginning of next week. In neighbouring Sevilla, the Campiña Sevillana will also be under an orange warning on Friday. The maximum is expected to reach 41C between 1pm and 9pm. 

40C temperatures spread across Spain

Friday is expected to bring temperatures of 40C or higher to a much wider area than the zones under the highest warning level. Badajoz, Cáceres, Córdoba, Sevilla, Granada, Jaén, Zaragoza, Lleida, Logroño and Toledo are among the cities where temperatures are expected to approach or exceed 40C. 

AEMET’s wider forecast shows temperatures of more than 34C across large parts of the peninsula, while Mallorca could reach above 35C.  The agency’s forecast also points to very warm nights in parts of southern Spain, the Mediterranean coast, the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands, with minimum temperatures remaining around 25C in some locations. 

Heat continues into the weekend

The current episode is being driven by a very warm air mass affecting the peninsula and Balearic Islands. Spain’s Civil Protection authorities, using AEMET forecasts, said the episode was expected to continue at least until Friday, with 40C to 42C possible in valleys across the southern half of the country.  The high temperatures are also expected to push the fire danger back towards extreme levels, with dry afternoon storms possible in some areas. 

Although Friday marks the peak or near-peak of the current episode in many areas, the heat will not disappear immediately. AEMET forecasts temperatures remaining unusually high into the weekend, although some parts of the country are expected to begin seeing a gradual fall. 

The heat arrives only days after the start of meteorological autumn on September 1. Thursday is expected to be hotter in several areas, with 43C forecast in Córdoba and Sevilla, but Friday will bring little relief. Further north, conditions will be more moderate, with some Atlantic coastal areas remaining in the mid-20s.  The contrast will be especially noticeable in northern coastal areas, where temperatures will stay well below the levels forecast inland.