Heat wave alert in many regions this long weekend in August

BarcelonaThe heat wave has already begun to pick up today, with temperatures between 38°C and almost 40°C in some places (you'll find all the data at the end of this report) and will reach a new scorching peak in the coming days. Its peak will be over the weekend and will last until Monday, with temperatures returning to 40°C or higher in the most sweltering areas of the country, especially in Ponent, inland from the Ebro River, and in some parts of Alt Empordà. Warnings have been issued in many regions due to intense heat, and Civil Protection has activated the Procicat plan alert due to the heat wave. Caution should be exercised this long weekend in August, when many people are on vacation and there are many major festivals taking place abroad.

The good news is that this will be the last peak of this extraordinarily long and extreme episode, as temperatures will cool down and return to normal by the middle of next week. Until then, we'll have to sweat it out, with sleepless nights in many regions and temperatures significantly above average. The afternoon showers and thunderstorms today and in recent days in parts of the north and inland will not be repeated in the coming days.

Friday: stifling heat

This Friday, the feast of Our Lady of August, will be a very warm day, with temperatures generally rising. The night will once again be one of poor sleep and tropical weather on the coast, pre-coast, and in several inland areas, and some torrid lows will be repeated along coastal stretches. Many highs will range between 33°C and 38°C, with heavy muggy conditions along the coast, but towards the West and the Ebro Valley, temperatures could reach or exceed 40°C. Meteocat has issued intense heat alerts for the entire coast and pre-coast, in Terres de l'Ebre, and much of the West regions.

A sweltering day, with sunshine and calm throughout. The showers and thunderstorms in the north of the country will subside in the afternoon, although some completely harmless clouds may develop in mountainous areas. A suspended pulse from North Africa will also continue.

Extremely hot weekend

Saturday will be even hotter, and Sunday will see the peak of this new torrid episode. Most highs will range between 35°C and 40°C on the pre-coastal and inland areas, and between 31°C and 36°C on the coast, with very muggy conditions. In Ponent and inland Ebro, temperatures could again occasionally reach 42°C or 43°C, while in the Tremp basin, the western Pre-Pyrenees, and the Alt Empordà, temperatures could also reach or slightly exceed 40°C. Meteocat extends intense heat alerts to most regions on Saturday.

Nights will be very difficult to sleep in and tropical temperatures will be felt in many regions, especially near the sea, where some scorching lows will be recorded. Meteocat has also issued nighttime heat alerts for the Barcelona coast and the Costa Brava. Sunshine and calm will remain throughout the weekend. Only a few traces of decorative thin clouds may appear, as well as isolated afternoon clouds in mountain areas, which will not produce showers.

Waiting for next week's refreshment

Monday will be very hot everywhere, with temperatures likely to reach or exceed 40°C in the warmest areas of the country. But starting Tuesday, temperatures will begin to drop more noticeably, and throughout the week we will gradually notice more bearable warmth. The cooling off will come especially from midweek, with temperatures even tending to normalize after being about eight degrees above average.

All of this could be accompanied by increased instability due to the arrival of cold air from above. Some maps indicate we could experience the classic round of showers and thunderstorms seen in late August, a situation that is still uncertain and will need to be confirmed.

Thursday's intense heat report

Temperatures have already risen slightly this Thursday, especially on the coast and pre-coastline and in the south of the country. They exceeded 38°C in the pre-coastline of Girona and Barcelona, exceptional levels in these areas. And they have already reached 40°C inland from the Ebro. However, afternoon showers and thunderstorms have kept the heat down without major excesses in the north of the country. Of note were the 24 l/m² accumulated in Guardiola de Berguedà and the 22 in Sant Romà d'Abella (Pallars Jussà). Some showers also fell between inland Tarragona and Anoia. These are the highest maximum temperatures recorded today:

• 39.9°C: Vinebre
• 39.2 °C: Torroja del Priorat
• 39.0 °C: Aldover
• 38.7 °C: Darnius Reservoir - Boadella
• 38.7 °C: Seròs
• 38.5 °C: El Masroig
• 38.4 °C: Castellbisbal
• 38.3 °C: Vallirana
• 38.3 °C: Fornells de la Selva
• 38.3 °C: Ribarroja Reservoir