The most intense heat will give us only two days of respite

BarcelonaThe heat was very intense and suffocating this Tuesday, with highs rising more, especially in the pre-coastal area, Central Catalonia, and the south. Temperatures approached 40 ºC in the Ebro basin, and even exceeded 38 ºC in the pre-coastal area. Benissanet (Ribera d'Ebre) recorded the day's highest temperature in Catalonia, with 39.7 ºC. Furthermore, 39.3 ºC were reached at the Siurana reservoir, 39 ºC in Vinebre (Ribera d'Ebre), 38.7 ºC in Sant Salvador de Guardiola (Bages), and 38.4 ºC in Vacarisses (Vallès Occidental). All this after another sleepless night, especially near the sea, with tropical minimums in many places and torrid in some coastal stretches. Notable were the 27.3 ºC in Barcelona's Raval neighborhood due to the heat island effect, and the 26.5 ºC minimum in Espolla (Alt Empordà) due to the warmed-up tramuntana wind.

Between Wednesday and Thursday, the north wind will strengthen at the extremes and temperatures will generally drop, especially in the interior and the Pyrenees. A brief respite to start the month of July that will not be as marked on the coast, but which will make nights more comfortable outside the coastline. But all this will not last long, because the week will end again with a gust of extreme heat that will bring back 40 ºC.

Wednesday: drop in temperatures

July will begin this Wednesday with the mistral and tramuntana winds strengthening at the extremes, with particular force in Empordà. An influx of slightly cooler air at altitude will lower temperatures, both minimum and maximum. Many values will range between 30 and 35°C, slightly higher in the warmest areas of the south and west, and lower in mountainous areas.

Less extreme heat that will not prevent a new tropical or torrid night near the sea and in areas of Empordà where the tramuntana blows heated. Meteocat maintains alerts for nocturnal heat in coastal stretches, as well as for diurnal heat on the coast between Montsià and Tarragonès.

All in all with plenty of sun and calm, but during the morning there will be more cloudy spells between Girona and Barcelona, as well as some first showers on the north face of the Pyrenees. In the afternoon, clouds will grow in the north of the country, leaving irregular showers and thunderstorms, especially in the eastern Pyrenees and Pre-Pyrenees, as well as in other parts of the northeastern interior. Meteocat maintains the alert for possible heavy rainfall accompanied by hail in these sectors.

New extreme heatwave in sight

The night from Wednesday to Thursday will be cooler and more breathable, and tropical lows will be more concentrated on the coast. During the day, thermometers will begin to rise slightly after Wednesday's drop, but still without extremes. It will be from Friday when the mercury will rise more, and towards the weekend suffocating heat will dominate again.

A new gust of very warm air will reach us and the anticyclone will strengthen. A combination that will bring us extreme heat again and 40°C in the most torrid areas of the interior. This episode will once again affect several countries in Western and Central Europe over the next few days. We will see if it is as intense as the last historic heatwave.