Night of insomnia and extreme heat without respite during the next hours

BarcelonaThe peak of the heatwave we had this Wednesday has left us with an extraordinarily warm atmosphere. Temperatures have reached or exceeded 40 °C in many places, even on the coast. In fact, heat records have been set again. The most notable is that of the Fabra observatory in Barcelona, which with more than 113 years of data had never reached a maximum temperature of 40.9 °C, official data from the station of the Royal Academy of Sciences and Arts of Barcelona (RACAB) which shatters the record in force until now, set in July 2024, and which is slightly higher than that recorded at the Meteocat station at Fabra, which is 40.7 °C, also an absolute record for this data series. In addition, there have been a total of 10 Meteocat stations with more than twenty years of data that have reached their absolute heat record today.

Today, temperatures have soared, especially in the northeast, on the coast, and the pre-coast, due to warm southerly winds. The highest figures were reached in Ponent, the southern interior, and Alt Empordà, where temperatures exceeded 42°C. Notably, Vinebre (Ribera d’Ebre) recorded a maximum of 44.1°C, the highest figure of the year so far. This Wednesday was by far the warmest day of the summer, with 40°C recorded in many regions.

An exceptional and historic episode that is setting several records. For instance, Portbou (Alt Empordà) registered the warmest night since data has been collected in Catalonia, with a minimum temperature that did not drop below 31.9°C on Tuesday night into Wednesday, known as a "tropical night" (nit roent). And on Tuesday, up to six heat records were broken in Ponent, Priorat, and Ribera d’Ebre.

Tonight will be sleepless in many regions, especially along the coast and pre-coast. Fairly widespread tropical minimum temperatures are expected, and torrid ones near the sea. As happened this morning, a "tropical night" minimum not dropping below 30°C is not ruled out. On Thursday, the mercury will drop a few degrees, but extreme heat will continue everywhere. For this reason, Meteocat maintains activated alerts for widespread intense heat. On Friday and over the weekend, thermometers will drop, and we will breathe a little better. However, the sultry weather will continue, and next week the heatwave will revive, and the most extreme values will return.

Thursday: extreme heat continues

The night and early morning of Wednesday to Thursday will be especially warm, especially on the coast and pre-coastal areas, where many tropical and torrid minimums are expected, and even some scorching ones, above 30°C, especially in the north of Alt Empordà and in the city of Barcelona. Temperatures will also not drop below 20°C in much of the interior. Meteocat is extending the alert for nocturnal heat to more regions, as it will be the most oppressive night of this episode.

Regarding the maximums, they will decrease slightly in some cases. But the decrease will be slight and imperceptible, as the extraordinary heat will continue everywhere. In fact, Meteocat maintains alerts for intense heat throughout the territory, with red warnings – the maximum level – still in Ponent, on the Barcelona coast, and in various regions of Girona. Many maximums of 37 to 42 °C will be repeated in the interior and pre-coastal areas, higher in Ponent and the Ebro region, and in coastal areas, 35 °C will also be widely exceeded, especially on the central coast and the Costa Brava.

All in all with radiant sun and, as has already happened the last two days, irregular afternoon showers in parts of the Pyrenees, and possibly the Pre-Pyrenees and between the Ports and southern Lleida, which may bring strong gusts of wind. In addition, in the afternoon the sea breeze from the south will blow again, with moderate gusts. In short, the risk of fire will remain very high.

Brief respite, but the heatwave continues

Between Friday and the weekend, temperatures will drop and we will breathe a little better. It will continue to be very hot, but the extreme values of these last few hours will not be reached by a long shot. In fact, it will barely reach 40°C anywhere, but with nights that will continue to be sweltering.

All this will be temporary, as we will continue under the influence of the North African gust and immersed in a heatwave that next week will pick up again, with values again above 40°C. Some meteorological models even indicate that the next torrid peak could be worse than what we are experiencing this week. A situation that we will have to follow with attention.

It would not be until the end of next week – already in the second half of July – when thermometers could clearly drop. For the moment, no significant rains are in sight, and in many regions it has not rained for weeks.