Spain's First Heatwave of the Year Is Coming — Temperatures Could Hit 37°C by Friday

After a week of unsettled weather and rain, Spain is entering a period of summer heat. From Monday, the Azores High is shifting eastward, bringing stable weather to most of the peninsula and the Balearic Islands. Temperatures will start climbing at the beginning of the week and by Friday will reach the highest values recorded so far this year.

On Monday, the exception will be Catalonia — where cloud cover, rain, and storms are expected, particularly in the north-east, with possible accumulations of more than 20 l/m² in Girona and surrounding areas — and Galicia, with variable cloud and drizzle.

From Tuesday, an African anticyclone carrying a mass of very warm air will move into Spain. On that day alone, the 30°C mark will be reached in parts of Murcia, the Ebro valley, and the Valencian Community. By Wednesday, the heat will have spread to virtually the entire country, with temperatures above 30°C in Madrid, Extremadura, Castilla-La Mancha, and the interior of Andalusia and Catalonia.

On Thursday, almost every region will exceed 30°C, with the exception of the island archipelagos and the Cantabrian coast. The Guadiana and Guadalquivir valleys are forecast to reach 34–36°C: up to 36°C in Seville, 35°C in Badajoz, 34°C in Toledo, and 32°C in Madrid.

Friday will be the hottest day of the year. Temperatures will approach July levels. Above 30°C is expected across the interior of all regions except the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands, Galicia, and Asturias. The heat will even affect the interior of the Basque Country and Cantabria. Forecast highs: up to 37°C in Seville, 36°C in Badajoz, Toledo, Zaragoza, and Lleida, 35°C in Córdoba, 34°C in Madrid, and 33°C in Logroño and Valladolid.

Ahead of the summer season, La Cotorra has written about the main hazards you may encounter during the hot months in Spain — weeverfish, Portuguese man o' war, poisonous plants, and other dangers lurking in the Spanish outdoors.