The State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) confirmed this Saturday that Spain will experience the second heat wave of the year between Monday and at least Wednesday of next week, which will mainly affect the southern half of the peninsula.
According to a special notice from Aemet, a ridge located to the east of the peninsula, in the vicinity of Tunisia, induces a flow with a southern component in the eastern half of the peninsula and the Balearic Islands, which is already introducing an air mass of Saharan origin, very warm and dry, with probable dust in suspension and that is favoring an increase in temperatures.
In the coming days, the movement of this ridge to the west is expected to bring the very warm air mass closer to a good part of the peninsula, except to the northwest and north, which, together with the stability and high insolation typical of the time, will give rise to an episode of heat wave.
Temperatures will rise in the coming days and on Sunday it is likely that they will reach 40 locally in the central part of the Guadalquivir valley, between 36 and 38 in areas of the southern plateau and the interior of the Balearic Islands, and 36 in the Ebro valley.
As for Monday, temperatures will clearly rise in a good part of the peninsula and the Balearic Islands. Maximum values above normal are expected in a generalized way and will exceed 38 in large areas of the interior of the peninsula and Mallorca, and 40 in areas of the interior of the southern half of the peninsula. They will even reach 44 points in the Guadalquivir valley.
The temperatures will remain very high during Tuesday, although with some changes. The intensification of the wind from the west and southwest will cause a new rise in the eastern peninsular area and the Ebro valley -where, as in Mallorca, it can reach 40 to 42 degrees- and, on the contrary, decreases in the west and north peninsular. In the Guadalquivir valley, very high temperatures will continue, of more than 42 degrees. "These two days, Monday and Tuesday, are the peak days of this episode," Aemet said.
The Aeme forecast indicates that on Monday there are already 12 communities warned of intense heat. In particular, the red warning affects Cordoba (44 degrees in the Campiana) and Jaén (44 in Sierra Morena, El County and the Guadalquivir valley).
In addition, areas of 15 provinces will be under an orange warning this Monday, including Albacete (40 degrees in La Mancha), Badajoz (40 in Las Vegas del Guadiana, La Siberia, Barros and Serena), Cáceres (40 in the Tagus and the Alagón, and 39 in Villuercas and Montánchez), Cádiz (40 in the Campiña), Ciudad Real (between 41 and 42), Córdoba (41 in the mountains, Los Pedroches and Subbética), Cuenca (39 to 41) and Granada (41 Guadix, Baza and the Genil basin).
The same occurs with Guadalajara (39 in the Alcarria), Jaén (43 in the Cazorla and Segura mountains, and 41 in the capital and the mountains), Madrid (40 except in the mountains), Málaga (40 in Antequera and Ronda) , Seville (43 in the Campiña and 41 in the Sierra Sur), Toledo (from 40 to 42) and the island of Mallorca (39 in the interior).
By Wednesday the 12th, a cooling off in the northern half and center of the peninsula is likely, mainly in the Ebro valley, as well as in the Balearic Islands, but not in the southern third, where temperatures will continue to be very high.
On the other hand, the minimum temperatures will also be very high during the episode, with tropical nights -above 20 degrees- and even locally torrid nights -over 25 degrees- in the southeastern half of the peninsula, especially in the southeastern third, and in Balearics.
“At this time it is not possible to establish with certainty the end of this heat wave episode. The most probable scenario indicates a tendency for the thermal decreases to continue, although still, for several more days, the temperatures will be above the usual values in areas of the southern half of the peninsula and the Balearic Islands, "said Aemet.
Regarding the Canary Islands, it is likely that the Saharan air mass will also affect the archipelago from Monday or Tuesday, which would give rise to an episode of high temperatures. "It is still early to determine whether or not it constitutes a heat wave," said Meteorology.
