Very warm and restless night, awaiting less extreme heat

BarcelonaTemperatures have peaked this Wednesday due to the heated west and south-west wind. A torrid peak that has left temperatures of 37 to 42 °C in the pre-coastal area and inland, with completely rampant 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 pre-coastal area, the warm sensation has been even higher than last week, as the high humidity is making the mugginess very heavy, with thermal sensations above 40 °C. In several regions, 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 nighttime 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 pre-coastal area.

However, from this Thursday onwards, thermometers will start to drop, and the heat will become less extreme. Despite this, the very warm atmosphere will continue, with intense mugginess on the coast and pre-coast, and values above the climatic average. A significant drop in mercury or a clearer unstable situation is not foreseen for at least another 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 wind will dominate again, and this will mean that the mercury will not rise as much, but that the stuffiness will be pronounced on the coast and pre-coast. Nevertheless, 40°C will still be reached in Ponent, where Meteocat maintains some yellow alerts for intense heat. In the rest of the pre-coast and the interior, 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 in a transient way, 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 northern inland areas, without ruling out a local drop or shower in other areas of the pre-coast, Ponent, Ports and the interior of the Valencian Country. Little, 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 sultry, 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 will have to look to the end of next week or already to the last week of July to see options for rain and a more significant cooling.

Heatwave peak balance

The third heatwave reached its peak this Wednesday, with temperatures that suddenly soared. Temperatures of 40°C or more were reached or exceeded in unusual areas, such as the pre-coastal and inland areas of Barcelona and Girona counties, as well as in Central Catalonia, Ponent, and the Ebro valley. A heat that has been accompanied by very intense mugginess along 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