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A New Heat Dome Brings Temperatures Above 40°C to Spain
After a few days of relative relief, the heat is returning. According to data from Meteored, from July 2, a powerful anticyclonic ridge will settle over the Iberian Peninsula, creating a so-called "heat dome" — a meteorological phenomenon in which an air mass covers a territory like a dome, prevents air circulation, and heats it up. Temperatures above 40 degrees are expected.
On Wednesday, the temperature remains more comfortable — from +23 to 25 degrees on the Cantabrian coast and around +36 degrees in the central and southern areas of the peninsula, with isolated spots reaching +40 degrees in Extremadura and the Guadalquivir valley. AEMET has already declared an orange alert level in Andalusia and Extremadura and a yellow one in Castilla y León, Castilla-La Mancha, Catalonia, and Madrid.
From Thursday, a general rise in temperatures will begin. In Badajoz, Córdoba, and Seville, the thermometers will reach +41 degrees, in Madrid 35, and on the Mediterranean coast 32–33 degrees. The exceptions will be Oviedo and Bilbao, with highs of around +23 degrees.
On Friday, the temperature in most areas of the peninsula and the Balearic Islands will exceed +36 degrees, and in the valleys of the Ebro, Tagus, Guadiana, and Guadalquivir rivers, 40–42 degrees. Nighttime lows will be 22–24 degrees on the Mediterranean coast and in the centre of the country.
The hottest day of the week promises to be Sunday. From +40 to +42 degrees along the entire length of the Guadalquivir valley, in Extremadura, Toledo, Ciudad Real, isolated spots in Madrid, the Ebro valley, and the interior of Catalonia. In the southwestern valleys, in the provinces of Jaén, Córdoba, Cáceres, and Badajoz, the temperature may reach 42–43 degrees.
La Cotorra spoke with a cosmetologist and dermatovenereologist about how you can enjoy the summer in the heat without harming your health, and also found out how to choose an SPF cream. If you're looking for where to escape the heat in Valencia, take a look at our roundup of city swimming pools.