The strong heat will last for a few more days

BarcelonaYesterday's extreme heat peak left up to 40 °C in many parts of Ponent, the Pre-Pyrenees, and nearby areas. This figure was reached, for example, in municipalities such as Solsona, Montesquiu, La Pobla de Segur, Sant Romà d'Abella, Torres de Segre, Vilanova de Segrià, and Alcarràs. But the highest maximums were recorded in Lleida and Tremp, with 41.3  °C and 41  °C respectively. Temperatures rose especially inland, in Empordà and the Pyrenees, where the mercury will drop slightly today. An episode of intense heat that will still last for quite a few days, with some ups and downs.

Small, practically imperceptible changes, while waiting for temperatures to reach their peak again between Sunday and the beginning of next week. The third official heatwave in our region mainly affects the interior of the country, where this summer it has already become common to reach 40 °C, a fact that was infrequent in previous years. All in all, with considerable calm in general, but a tail end of a front will slightly reactivate instability in the Pyrenees and nearby areas, where some showers and thunderstorms will fall on Friday and Saturday.

Friday: some afternoon showers

The night has again been mild and warm in many regions, with many tropical lows, and some torrid ones again in parts of the coast and the south of the country. On the other hand, in the Pyrenean valleys, other mountain areas and in some northern inland spots it has been cooler, with temperatures between 12 and 16 ºC. Maximum temperatures may drop slightly on this last day of July in the Pyrenees, inland and in the northeast after Thursday's heat peak, but the atmosphere will continue to be suffocating and very warm, with temperatures clearly above average. Many maximums of 33 to 38ºC in the pre-coastal areas and inland, around 40ºC in Ponent and a heavy and muggy atmosphere on the coast. Heat alerts remain active in the Lleida regions.

The suspended dust will increase, leaving a sky that is increasingly earthy, with plenty of sun in most regions. However, instability will increase slightly and some showers and thunderstorms will reappear in parts of the Pyrenees, the Pre-Pyrenees and the Ports area in the morning, and again between the afternoon and evening. In fact, this morning thunderstorms have already occurred, causing some fires due to lightning in these areas. Water that will be accompanied by mud. Some low clouds or fog will also be repeated along the coast.

Very warm weekend

Temperatures will remain similar on Saturday, with intense heat during the day and mild to warm conditions at night. But on Sunday, thermometers will rise again and a new torrid peak of this heatwave will begin until the beginning of next week. Therefore, 40 °C will continue to be reached in Ponent. It will be a suffocating first weekend of August.

All this with plenty of sun and calm, while afternoon showers and thunderstorms will be repeated on Saturday in the Pyrenees. Dust in suspension will also remain. We still have a few days left under the new warm bubble from North Africa, which is leaving temperatures of over 25 °C at 1,500 m altitude, extraordinary values. A very warm incursion that also embraces the rest of southern and central Europe.

Everything seems to indicate that thermometers will be going down during the second part of next week, with the possibility that afternoon instability will increase. There are still days left, so for now we will have to sweat it out.