The heat wave begins to ease today with afternoon showers in some regions.

BarcelonaThe heat wave peaked yesterday, with scorching temperatures. Temperatures rose the most in the West, inland from the Ebro River, and in the Conca de Tremp region, where they far exceeded 40°C. In fact, Yesterday 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). Maximum temperatures will drop today in these regions, but the heat will remain very intense throughout the country, and there's no clear end to the extreme heat this week. Tonight was once again a night of poor sleep, with tropical or torrid lows in many places, especially along the coast. However, they were lower than the previous night. 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

The early morning was once again warm, with tropical lows (above 20°C) in many regions. On the coast and in some local areas of Ponent and in elevated areas of Central Catalonia, some torrid lows (above 25°C) were recorded, although they have decreased compared to Monday morning. It's all 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, on the coast and in the regions of Girona and Barcelona, there will be little change. Many highs of 33°C to 38°C across the country, with muggy conditions near the sea. Meteocat maintains some intense heat alerts in Ponent:

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 yesterday, Monday, at the height of the second heat wave of the summer in our country. They surpassed the levels reached during the first, which occurred in late June and early July. For the first time this year, temperatures have exceeded 43°C in Catalonia, specifically in Vinebre (Ribera d'Ebre), where the 43.8°C recorded yesterday 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 meteorological station. Four other stations with more than 20 years of official data broke 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—yesterday would have equaled the record previously held in 2019 in Alcarràs. In any case, the 43.8°C recorded in Vinebre is one of the highest values on record.

40°C was also reached or exceeded in many inland areas of Terres de l'Ebre and Ponent. Furthermore, most highs ranged between 36°C and 39°C in the rest of the pre-coastal and inland areas, while on the coast, temperatures far exceeded 30°C in many cases. Southwestern France is also notable, with several heat records broken yesterday. These are the highest highs of this scorching Monday in Catalonia:

• 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.