The peak of this heatwave will arrive mid-week

BarcelonaWe have started a new week marked again by the umpteenth heatwave of the season. In this case, the bubble of warm North African air is accompanied by a lot of suspended dust and clearly more humidity than in the extreme heat episode of last week. All this will cause the mercury not to climb as much as it could, but a suffocating atmosphere is guaranteed. Today, temperatures have already exceeded 38 or 39 ºC in Ponent, with Vilanova de Segrià reaching 39.4º C. And Wednesday will be the hottest day of the episode in most regions, with up to 40 ºC or more in parts of the pre-coastal and inland areas. On the coast, the news will continue to be mainly the marked and heavy mugginess, as well as sleepless nights. From Thursday onwards, showers will arrive in the north and west of the country, and the temperature will start to drop, but always remaining above the climatic average. No significant cooling is in sight.

Tuesday: warm and stuffy atmosphere

Temperatures will remain similar or rise a little more this Tuesday, especially inland. The atmosphere will be warm and fully summery, with many highs of 27 to 33 ºC on the coast and pre-coast, and 32 to 37 ºC inland. However, 38 or 39 ºC could be reached in the south and in Ponent. On the coast and pre-coast, the feeling of stuffiness will be very pronounced, with high humidity. Meteocat has alerts activated for heat in the west, especially at night.

All in all with sun combined with some bands of high and medium clouds, especially in the afternoon, when the sky will become quite hazy. In addition, there will be a lot of African dust in suspension. There will also be low clouds or morning fogs on the coast due to high humidity. In the afternoon and evening, some mud drops or local showers are not ruled out in the Pyrenees of Lleida or in Ponent.

Extreme heat peak Wednesday

Wednesday the temperature will soar, especially due to the strengthening of the warm wind between southwest and west. Many maximums of 37 to 42 ºC are expected, the highest in the pre-coastal areas, in Ponent, in the Ebre and in Central Catalonia. It will be a scorching day, and surely with less marked humidity temporarily on the coast. Meteocat extends the yellow and orange alerts for intense heat to many regions.

Thursday the temperature will begin to drop and clouds will increase, leaving showers and thunderstorms in the Pyrenees, pre-Pyrenees and nearby areas, and in the Ports. Showers are not ruled out in other areas of the north and west of the country. The thermometers will continue to drop in the following days and we will breathe better. The third heatwave of the summer will begin to recede, but the values will remain above average. No change in pattern is foreseen, nor any significant rainfall.