First heat wave alert: extreme temperatures both on land and at sea
The episode will mainly affect the Ponent area and the Ebro Valley, with highs of up to 40ºC or more for several days.
BarcelonaIf we've been sweating hard throughout June, let's get ready, because the longest and harshest bout of extreme heat is yet to come. In the coming days, a new subtropical anticyclone will hit us, bringing sustained, very warm air from North Africa with a higher suspended pulse. All of this will lead to the first heat wave of the year in various regions and also across much of the Iberian Peninsula.
Temperatures dropped slightly on Thursday after reaching 40°C in some places in recent days, setting some heat records. This relative and brief respite will not continue, as starting this Friday and especially over the weekend, thermometers will rise sharply again, initiating a long bout of very intense heat that will last at least until Tuesday. Temperatures 6°C or more above the average for this time are forecast.
In Catalonia, the heat wave will primarily affect the Ponent area and the interior of the Ebro, where sustained highs of between 39°C and 42°C will be reached over the next few days. Meteocat has already activated a heat wave alert in several regions in these areas starting Saturday. "The month of June will end with persistent and unbridled heat," said Santi Segalà, head of forecasting for the Servei Meteorològic de Catalunya (SMC), in a statement.
Other areas, especially inland or pre-coastal, will also record extreme temperatures for several consecutive days, such as the Tremp basin, Priorat, the Bages plain, and points in the northeastern interior. It should be noted that maximum temperatures will probably not reach the heat wave threshold uniformly across the entire country, but the episode will be felt with greater or lesser intensity everywhere, with extraordinary heat both day and night.
In any case, the weather will be very warm everywhere. The hottest days are expected especially between Sunday and Tuesday, with many highs of 35°C to 40°C. Lower temperatures will only remain on the coast and in mountainous areas. Along the coast, highs of 30°C to 34°C will be very muggy; inland in the Valencian Country, temperatures will exceed 37°C or 38°C, and on the island of Mallorca, 35°C. A heat wave that will be accompanied by sunshine and sleepless nights, with tropical lows in many places. Along sections of the coast, what are known as torrid nights—minims above 25°C—will once again be recorded, especially in the city of Barcelona, where these extreme nighttime temperatures have been reaching for over a week now.
Aemet (Mexico's National Agency for the Protection of Minorities) has also issued a heat wave warning for virtually the entire state. The event will primarily affect central and southern Spain and Portugal, and especially the southwest interior of the peninsula, where temperatures could occasionally reach 45°C. Extreme heat will also be expected in much of France and other areas of central and western Europe.
Heat wave also at sea
The extraordinary heat of this June and the absence of storms have also caused a sudden rise in sea temperatures, with uncontrolled levels completely out of character for the season. Record-breaking sea water temperatures have already been broken in Barcelona and L'Estartit, in the Baix Empordà region, with temperatures more typical of the dog days than of late June.
"Unfortunately, marine heat waves in the Mediterranean have intensified in frequency, duration, and intensity as a direct consequence of climate change, severely impacting marine ecosystems such as posidonia seagrass beds and coral reefs, as well as economic activities such as fishing," says Marc Prohom, head of climatology. For his part, Segalà warns that sea surface temperatures are expected to "continue to rise in the medium term."
Why hasn't there been talk of a heat wave until now?
Since the end of May, temperatures have been soaring and clearly above average. Based on the maximum temperatures recorded every day during the months of June, July, and August over the last ten years. If temperatures exceed this level for at least three consecutive days, it is considered a heat wave.