By Sophie Buchan
Copyright belfastlive
Spain is bracing for a “second summer” as a heatwave approaches the country. With temperatures expected to climb to a staggering 36C this week and potentially reaching nearly 40C, people are being urged to take caution whether you are a local or tourist. According to a statement from Spain ‘s state meteorological agency, Aemet, in recent months temperatures have been on the rise and in July, water temperatures were between 5C and 6C higher than usual for this time of year, a record in the Balearic Sea. The Olive Press, reports that this surge in heat is being driven by a ‘massive anticyclone brings sweltering heat across much of the country’. BBC Weather . forecasts show that popular areas such as Barcelona will experience temperatures of 27C on Wednesday, reports the Liverpool Echo . Meanwhile other popular hotspots, like Malaga, are set to hit 29C. The high temperatures do not end there as Alicante is set to see highs of 31C all week with highs of 35C in Zaragoza. Weather experts at the Olive Press caution: “Low-lying areas of southwest Spain and parts of the Canary Islands will exceed 34C, with the Guadalquivir hitting 36C. However, there will be some respite along parts of the coast, with temperatures dropping in Huelva, the Alboran Sea area, the Strait of Gibraltar, Galicia, the upper Ebro and the Cantabrian coast.” As the week progresses, there’s a possibility of heavy showers and thunderstorms in the eastern Pyrenees and Iberian mountain system. The extreme weather is set to persist throughout the week, with Aemet forecasting that the following week (22–28 September) will also be hotter than usual for this time of year, with scant rainfall across much of the Peninsula. Speaking about tomorrow’s temperatures, tiempo reports that although some showers are expected, ‘yellow warnings have even been activated for high temperatures in the Guadiana plains, where it is expected to exceed 38C in the central hours of the day’. The same warnings ‘will also be in force in the midlands of the south and west of Gran Canarias, where tomorrow they will reach or exceed 35C’. “In the coming days, this thermal rebound could spread to other areas of the interior, leaving sweltering days and afternoons with an atmosphere typical of midsummer, despite still being in the month of September,” a spokesperson said. “On the other hand, tomorrow the maximum values will fall from 4 to 6C in Catalonia, Zaragoza and Navarra.” For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.
