Heat less extreme today, with mugginess and some showers

BarcelonaWe wake up after a night that has been restless and very warm in general. Widespread tropical minimums have been recorded, but also many torrid ones on the coast, in the south, and in Ponent, with marked – and in some cases unbearable – sultriness on the coast and pre-coast. However, from today onwards, thermometers will start to drop, and the heat will become less extreme, with variable or partly cloudy skies and the risk of showers accompanied by mud in some regions. Despite everything, the very warm atmosphere, intense sultriness on the coast and pre-coast, and values above the climatic average will continue. No significant drop in mercury or a clearer unstable situation is expected for at least another seven to ten days.

All this after temperatures peaked yesterday due to the heated west and south-west wind. The torrid peak of this third heatwave of the summer left temperatures of 37 to 42 °C on the pre-coast and inland, with completely unbridled and suffocating heat. The highest maximum of the day was recorded in Anglès, in La Selva, with an extraordinary 42.4 °C, and some local records were broken (you will find a summary of the highest temperatures at the end of this information). On the coast and pre-coast, the warm sensation was even higher than last week, as the high humidity of the last few hours makes the sultriness very heavy, with thermal sensations exceeding 40 °C. In several regions, yesterday was the most arduous day of the summer so far due to these thermal sensation factors.

Thursday: intense heat, but less extreme

After a very warm and sleepless night in many regions, temperatures will not skyrocket as much this Thursday as yesterday. The sea breeze will return to dominate, which will mean that the mercury will not rise as much, but that the sultriness will be pronounced on the coast and pre-coastal areas. Nevertheless, 40 °C will still be reached 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 temporarily, and already in the morning, showers will 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 drop or local shower in other areas of the pre-littoral, Ponent, Ports and the interior of the Valencian Country. Little, and the rain will be accompanied by mud, as African dust will remain suspended. Some local but intense thunderstorms are not ruled out in the Pyrenees and Pre-Pyrenees.

Few changes in the coming days

The most intense part of the North African hot 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 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 have to look to the end of next week or the last week of July to see options for rain and a more substantial cooldown.

Heatwave peak assessment

The third heatwave reached its peak on Wednesday, with temperatures suddenly soaring. 40°C was 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. This heat was accompanied by very intense mugginess on the coast and pre-coast, with a very heavy atmosphere. Absolute maximum temperature records were broken at two of the 128 Meteocat stations with more than twenty years of data: 41.8°C in Vacarisses (Vallès Occidental) and 40.9°C in Horta de Sant Joan (Terra Alta). These are the highest values reached on Wednesday:

• 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