First torrid time of the new and long extreme heat episode

The suffocating heat has returned. This Wednesday has been a very hot day and 40°C has already been reached in Ponent, but this figure has also been approached in other inland areas, such as the Pre-Pyrenees. Highlights include the 40.4°C maximum in Lleida or the 39.9°C in Montesquiu (Osona) and Alcarràs (Segrià). The official start has been given to the new episode of extreme heat in our country, the umpteenth since the summer began and which will last at least a week. As it is possible that the heat thresholds will be exceeded for three consecutive days in several regions, this episode will very likely end up being a heatwave.

It should be noted that it will not finally be the fourth heatwave in Catalonia, as the validated data provided today by Meteocat have corroborated that the last episode that occurred – that episode in mid-July – despite the suffocating sensation, did not finally exceed the thresholds, and it has been decided to remove the heatwave label. Therefore, this will be the third of the summer in our country, and it will mainly affect inland areas. On the other hand, in the country as a whole, the fourth heatwave of the summer is indeed being experienced.

On Thursday, we will have a peak of this episode, with up to 42 or 43°C in Ponent. And the next peak is likely to take place between Sunday and the beginning of next week. There are many alerts activated for extreme heat on Thursday in the interior, the Costa Brava, the Pyrenees, the Pre-Pyrenees, and the Litoral of Barcelona. Warnings that on Friday lose extension transitively.

Thursday: scorching day

Temperatures will rise further and peak this Thursday. The night will be warm in many regions, with generally quite tropical lows and some torrid ones near the sea, in the south, and even in some parts of Ponent. Meteocat has also activated alerts for nocturnal heat in the regions of Ponent and Terres de l'Ebre.

Regarding the maximums, most will hover between 35 and 40°C in the pre-coastal areas, inland, in Pyrenean valleys, and in some areas of the Pyrenees. Suffocating heat in general, but the atmosphere will be even hotter in Ponent, where locally 42 or 43°C can be reached. On the coast, there will be many values from 29 to 34°C, with marked mugginess. All this with general sunshine, a bit of suspended dust, and moderate westerly wind in the afternoon on the northeast coast.

The heat gives no respite

Friday and Saturday the temperatures will drop slightly, but will remain above average and the intense heat will continue. Some afternoon thunderstorms will also reappear in the Pyrenees.

But the maps indicate that between Sunday and at least Tuesday the thermometers would reach their peak again, with extreme heat and a new warm spell, especially in the interior. The 40 °C will be exceeded again in the hottest areas, especially in western Catalonia. It seems that at the end of next week we will breathe better and instability could increase. In any case, there are still days to go, and until then, we will have to sweat it out.