Very warm and restless night, awaiting less extreme heat

BarcelonaTemperatures have peaked this Wednesday due to the warmed westerly and southwesterly wind. A torrid peak that has left temperatures of 37 to 42°C in the foothills and inland, with completely runaway and suffocating heat. The highest maximum of the day was recorded in Anglès, in La Selva, with an extraordinary 42.4°C (you will find a summary of the highest temperatures at the end of this information). On the coast and foothills, the warm sensation has been even higher than last week, as the high humidity is making the mugginess very heavy, with thermal sensations exceeding 40°C. In several counties, it has been the most arduous day of the summer so far due to these thermal sensation factors.

And after the peak of this third heatwave of the summer, the next night will be sleepless and very heavy in general. Meteocat has activated the alert for nocturnal heat in a large part of the country, as generalized tropical minimums are expected, and some torrid ones on the coast, in the south and in Ponent, with marked – and in some cases unbearable – mugginess on the coast and foothills.

However, from this Thursday onwards the thermometers will start to drop, and the heat will become less extreme. Despite this, the very warm atmosphere, intense humidity on the coast and pre-coast, and values above the climatic average will continue. A significant drop in mercury or a clearer unstable situation is not expected for at least seven to ten days.

Thursday: intense heat, but less extreme

After a night that will be warm and sleepless in many regions, this Thursday temperatures will not skyrocket as much as on Wednesday. The sea breeze will return to dominate, and this will mean that the mercury will not rise as much, but that the stuffiness will be noticeable on the coast and pre-coastal areas. However, temperatures will still reach 40°C in Ponent, where Meteocat maintains some yellow alerts for intense heat. In the rest of the pre-coastal and inland areas, most maximums will range between 33 and 38°C, with lower values on the coast.

All this with a variable sky due to the passage of cloud bands. Instability will increase slightly temporarily, and already in the morning, showers may fall in the Pyrenees and Pre-Pyrenees, especially in the western part, as well as in nearby areas.

Between midday and afternoon these showers may fall in more areas of the Pyrenees, Pre-Pyrenees and the northern interior, without ruling out a local drop or shower in other areas of the pre-coastal, Ponent, Ports and interior of the Valencian Country. Little else, and the rain will be accompanied by mud, as African dust will remain suspended.

Few changes in the coming days

The most intense part of the North African warm air bubble will move south. However, the anticyclone, intense heat, and suspended dust will remain. In the coming days, thermometers will gradually decrease, with less extreme and more bearable heat. Nevertheless, the atmosphere will be scorching, with marked humidity near the sea and tropical nights.

Calm and sun will dominate with very few nuances. And this situation will continue into next week, with no new torrid peak in sight. We have to look towards the end of next week or already the last week of July to see options for rain and a more significant cooling.

Heatwave peak assessment

The third heatwave reached its peak this Wednesday, with temperatures that have suddenly soared. Temperatures of 40°C or more have been reached or exceeded in unusual areas, such as the pre-coastal and inland areas of the Barcelona and Girona regions, as well as in Central Catalonia, Ponent, and the Ebro valley. A heat accompanied by very intense mugginess on the coast and pre-coast, with a very heavy atmosphere. These are the highest values reached:

• 42.4°C: Anglès
• 41.9°C: Sant Salvador de Guardiola
• 41.8°C: Vacarisses
• 41.6 °C: Vinebre
• 40.9°C: Horta de Sant Joan
• 40.9°C: Olot
• 40.8 °C: Fornells de la Selva
• 40.8 °C: Santa Coloma de Farners
• 40.6°C: Ascó
• 40.6°C: El Masroig
• 40.4 ºC: Vallirana
• 40.2 ºC: Els Hostalets de Pierola