At the doors of a new heat wave

BarcelonaThe extreme heat has given a little respite this weekend, with very high values, but without the records of a few days ago. This Saturday, many observatories in Ponent have once again brushed against 38°C, with a lot of sultriness on the coast, due to low clouds. From this Sunday, temperatures will rise again and a new heatwave will begin. We are on the verge of what will be the third heatwave of the summer, when we will not yet have recovered from the second. The suffocating atmosphere gives no respite and after the sultriness we will suffer another influx of dry African air, with predicted values of up to 28°C at 1,500 m. This situation will cause thermometers to exceed 40°C again in many areas.

Sunday: heat alerts return

The heat will return this Sunday and it will do so early in the morning, with high values, torrid nights on the coast and a marked feeling of mugginess. In fact, Meteocat has issued a warning for night heat. The minimums will not drop below 25 °C in many regions.

After the slight respite on Saturday, from Sunday onwards thermometers will rise again, especially towards the interior and the Pyrenees. It will once again be easier to reach 40°C in Ponent. In fact, Meteocat has activated new yellow alerts for intense heat in this area and in the Pyrenees and Pre-Pyrenees. Many maximums will still be between 33°C and 38°C. The sun will combine with bands of high, thin clouds and the afternoon showers in the Pyrenees will no longer be repeated.

During the afternoon the sea breeze will strengthen and blow with some strong gusts in the south of Ponent and the Terres de l'Ebre. The sea will be a little rougher, with swell on much of the coast. In addition, more dust will arrive in suspension and visibility will worsen.

Scorching heat next week

Throughout next week, thermometers will rise and the peak of this new heatwave will arrive. The peak is expected mainly between Wednesday and Thursday, with suffocating conditions generally. All this will be the result of a new bubble of warm North African air that will fully affect the western Mediterranean and, therefore, Catalonia, the Balearic Islands, and the Valencian Community.

Temperatures at an altitude of 1,500 meters will be extraordinarily high, with record values between 26°C and 28°C, a couple of degrees above the values reached during the second heatwave. But there will be more humidity and a lot of Saharan dust in suspension will arrive, driven by the counterclockwise rotation of a low-pressure system located west of the Peninsula. These factors could prevent thermometers from skyrocketing so much, although they would cause a lot of sultriness along the coast and generally sleepless nights.

In any case, many highs of 36°C to 41°C are expected, and above 42°C or 43°C in Ponent and the Ebro valley. An episode that we will have to follow with great attention and that will accumulate a total of about twelve days of very intense heat in our country at least. All this without rain in sight, with the hope that from the end of next week the thermometers will drop with more enthusiasm.