Another sleepless night, waiting for the heat wave to ease a bit tomorrow.
Showers and storms will gain ground in the coming afternoons.
BarcelonaThe heat wave peaked this Monday, with scorching temperatures. Temperatures rose the most in the West, inland from the Ebro River, and in the Conca de Tremp region, where temperatures far exceeded 40°C. In fact, Today we reached the highest maximum temperature of the summer so far in our house., with nearly 44°C in Vinebre and some heat records (you'll find all the data at the end of this report). Highs will drop on Tuesday in these regions, but the heat will remain very intense across the country, and there's no clear end in sight. And tonight will again be a night of poor sleep, with tropical or scorching lows in many places, especially along the coast. The most notable development will be showers and thunderstorms that will gain ground in the coming evenings in the northern half of the country.
Tuesday: the mercury drops a little
Tuesday morning will once again be very warm, with tropical lows (above 20°C) in many regions. Torrid lows (over 25°C) will be recorded along the coast and in some areas of Ponent, southern inland, and in elevated areas of Central Catalonia. In some areas, temperatures will even struggle to drop below 30°C, such as some neighborhoods in Barcelona.
All of this will be the prelude to another exceptionally warm day, although there will be some changes. Maximum temperatures will drop in Ponent and the Ebro, as well as in nearby areas. It will continue to be very hot and could reach around 40°C in these areas, but the mercury will not rise as much as on Monday. However, there will be few changes along the coast and in the regions of Girona and Barcelona. Many highs of 33°C to 38°C will be recorded across the country, with muggy conditions near the sea.
Sunshine and calm will prevail in the morning, with only a few low morning clouds on the coast—especially along the Ebro—and the Calija region due to the presence of suspended dust from North Africa. However, instability will increase in the afternoon due to the arrival of some cold air from above. This will cause the growth of dark clouds and irregular showers and afternoon thunderstorms in parts of the Pyrenees and Pre-Pyrenees, which, as the hours pass, may reach parts of Central and Western Catalonia. Some storms may be strong and locally accompanied by hail, hail, or strong gusts of wind, due to the accumulated heat.
Without a clear soda in sight
Temperatures may drop a little more between Wednesday and Thursday, but we're coming from so high up that it will continue to be very hot. Furthermore, this temperature change will hardly be noticeable near the sea, with a very heavy atmosphere and nights that will continue to be difficult to sleep in many places. There's no clear end in sight to this intense, markedly above-average heat. In fact, temperatures could even rise further starting this weekend.
Based on the maps, we don't see a clear cooling off until the second half of next week. So we'll have to sweat it out for a few more days. All with new storms and afternoon showers in the northern half of the country, especially in the Pyrenees and inland areas.
Heat wave balance
Temperatures reached their peak this Monday, at the height of the second heat wave of the summer in our country. They surpassed the levels reached in the first, which occurred in late June and early July. For the first time this year, temperatures exceeded 43°C in Catalonia, specifically in Vinebre (Ribera d'Ebre), where the 43.8°C recorded this afternoon is not only the highest high of the summer so far in our country, but also the absolute heat record in the 27 years of data from this Meteo meteorological station. Four other stations with more than 20 years of official data have broken their own heat records.
If it weren't for the extraordinary, torrid peak of July 2023 in Alt Empordà, which set a new absolute heat record in Catalonia - with 45.4 °C in Figueres - today would have equaled the record previously held, set in 2019 in Alcarràs. In any case, the 43.8 °C recorded in Vinebre is one of the highest values since records began.
Temperatures have also reached or exceeded 40 °C in many inland areas of Terres de l'Ebre and Ponent, where temperatures may still rise slightly further until mid-afternoon. In addition, most highs are between 36 °C and 39 °C in the rest of the pre-coastal and inland areas, while on the coast temperatures have far exceeded 30 °C in many cases. Southwestern France is also notable, with several heat records broken today. These are the highest temperatures in Catalonia this sweltering Monday:
- 43.8°C: Vinebre (Record)
- 42.4 °C: the Masroig
- 42.3 °C: Ribarroja Reservoir
- 42.2 °C: Ascó (Record)
- 41.8 °C: Torres de Segre
- 41.8 ºC: Lleida-la Femosa
- 41.7 °C: Aldover
- 41.7 °C: Torroja del Priorat
- 41.6 °C: Flails
- 41.6 °C: Tempering
- 41.6 °C: Albesa
- 41.5 ºC: El Soleràs
- 41.2 ºC: Batea (Record)
- 40.4 ºC: Horta de Sant Joan (Record)
- 40 ºC: La Seu d'Urgell (Record)
Temperatures have been rising since last week, with intense, scorching heat. The first 40°C of this episode were reached this weekend, clearly above average. Below is a graph showing temperature trends over the past few days across Catalonia and in some specific municipalities.