Temperatures in parts of southern Spain are expected to exceed 42 degrees on Saturday, as “extreme intensity” heat waves bring dusty skies, an increased risk of forest fires and blisters, which are usually seen in mid-May.
The Spanish government stepped up its national plan to exceed temperatures on Thursday night after the state meteorological agency Aemet warned that Spain was facing “one of the hottest May months in the country in recent years”.
Aemet said a mass of hot, dry air was blowing from Africa, bringing with it Saharan dust and “extremely high” daytime temperatures, which are between 10 and 15 degrees above the season average.
“The latest updates on meteorological models confirm the extreme intensity of this heat wave,” said Ruben del Campo, a spokesman for Aemet.
“For Spain as a whole, this may be the most intense heat wave in May of 20 years in terms of both maximum and minimum temperatures. Friday and Saturday will be the hottest days in general, and although Sunday will see a significant drop in temperatures in the western third of the peninsula, it may be the hottest day in parts of eastern Spain and the Balearic Islands. “
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The forecaster said that temperatures in the Guadalquivir Valley in Andalusia could exceed 40 ° C on Friday and exceed 42 ° C the next day. Even when the heat subsides elsewhere, he added, there could be temperatures of 40 ° C or higher in the northeastern Ebro Valley – “something unheard of in the area in May.”
Spain recorded its highest temperature last August, when mercury in the Andalusian city of Montoro reached 47.4 degrees Celsius.
Del Campo reminded people of the “extreme risk” of forest fires in the southern, central and northeastern regions and also told them to expect another orange kalima dust.
“This will be an extreme episode and the risk that comes with high temperatures will be important in many areas,” he said.
“Another thing you need to know is the dust in the air, which can lead to mud in the southern and eastern parts of the peninsula, with gloomy skies and reduced visibility. This concentration of dust in the air may increase on Friday and Saturday across the peninsula and the Balearic Islands, as the air comes from North Africa, transporting dust from the Sahara. This will again lead to a deterioration in air quality. “
The Spanish government has advised people to stay hydrated and wear light clothing, adding that children, pregnant women and the elderly and the chronically ill should be closely monitored.
The Sahara dust cloud is also due to a blow over the United Kingdom, which is experiencing its hottest day of the year so far on Tuesday, when temperatures in the southeastern part of the country reached 27.5 degrees Celsius.
Spring heat records have also been broken in France, as the country enters its 38th consecutive day with above-normal temperatures, with parts of the south already exceeding 33C, and some models predict that temperatures will rise locally to 37C or even 39C by the end of the week, about 17C hotter than the season average.
The southern cities of Albi, Toulouse and Montelimar equaled or exceeded their previous May records, recording 33.7 ° C, 33.4 ° C and 33.8 ° C on Wednesday, respectively, while even La Haga in north-western Normandy reached 27 ° C. , breaking a May record dating back to 1922.
In Paris, the temperature on the night from Wednesday to Thursday did not fall below 20 degrees, for the first time, which happened so early in the year and a half since the beginning of recordings in the capital. At 3 in the morning, the mercury was still close to 22 degrees.
The heat wave is expected to continue in southern France until at least Sunday and probably Monday, Météo France said, adding: “This is an exceptional period of high temperatures in terms of how early this year, how long it is expected to last and what part of the country covers ”.
The state weather forecaster said that it is now “very likely” that this is the hottest May in history, with average temperatures forecast at least 3C above normal throughout the month, and much more locally. In 2011, the hottest May so far, average temperatures were only 1.8C higher than normal.
François Jobar, a forecaster for Météo France, said France had not suffered a heat wave in May, “since national data began to be collected in 1947. The hottest day in May has always remained well below 25.3C. In fact, this temperature was never reached in France before June 20. “
Water use is already restricted in 16 of France’s departments (regions), with 22 – mainly in the south-east and south-west – considered “very likely” to suffer a severe drought by the end of the summer. An alarming level of ozone was recorded in the Rhone Valley this week, authorities said.
Météo France said such episodes of extreme heat are likely to get longer and more severe, start earlier and recur more often as global warming progresses – although he added that there are no indications this year that the unusually hot spring heralded a record hot summer.
Earlier this week, the UK’s meteorological office said the chances of a record recent heat wave that raised temperatures in parts of India and Pakistan to 51 degrees Celsius were more than 100 times more likely due to the climate crisis.
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