No respite from the intense heat of midsummer

BarcelonaThe heatwave gives no respite and this Tuesday it has intensified a little more, with maximums that have widely exceeded 35°C in Ponent and the south. Highlights include the 37.5°C reached in Vinebre (Ribera d'Ebre) and the 37.4°C in Seròs (Segrià). But locally, 37°C has also been reached in some other inland location, such as Artés (Bages). In the coming days, temperatures will remain very high for the season, with values more typical of the summer dog days than mid-June, and tropical nights will occur in coastal areas. In fact, it is likely that by the end of the week thermometers will peak and 40°C could be reached locally in Ponent and the Ebro valley. If this happens, it would be the first time this year that this figure has been reached. All this is the result of a gust of very warm air coming from North Africa and an anticyclone that will affect a large part of Europe in the coming days, with rampant heat.

Wednesday: even higher temperatures

Temperatures will remain well above what is normal for this time of year, and will even rise further this Wednesday. The night will be generally mild, with coolness only in mountainous areas and nearby zones. Tropical minimums will be repeated in coastal stretches, especially in densely populated areas that will facilitate the "heat island" effect.heat island effect. Most maximums will range between 30°C and 35°C, with marked mugginess along the coast. But it will approach 37°C in parts of Ponent and the southern interior.

All in all with sun in general and heat due to the presence of suspended dust. Afternoon cloudiness will grow again in the Pyrenees area, where some irregular, not very significant showers will be repeated, locally with some thunderstorms.

Possible torrid heatwave at the end of the week

The heatwave will not ease in the coming days and thermometers will continue to soar, both day and night. A situation that will spread to a large part of Europe, especially in the center, south, and west of the continent. Maps indicate that a warm peak could reach our region by the weekend. It would then be when 40°C could be reached for the first time this year in Ponent and the Ebro valley.

We will see how high the mercury climbs. In any case, we will have to sweat profusely for many more days, and there is no clear end in sight for this long heat episode. The sun and anticyclonic calm will continue to dominate, with African dust in suspension and some afternoon showers in the Pyrenees.