weather
Temperatures have felt milder than they are due to fewer 'terral' winds
14.08.10 - 18:46 -
Holidaymakers continue to surge towards the Costa del Sol for their summer break whilst Malaga reaches its highest temperatures of the year. The Met Office announced last week that 17 provinces in Spain are on alert because of high temperatures. In the city of Malaga, the Costa del Sol and the Valle del Guadalhorce area, temperatures rose to 39º, which activated the ‘orange’ alert (serious risk), while the town of Antequera was on ‘yellow’ alert, with temperatures rising to 38º.
Even though weather statistics point to a particularly hot summer, with temperatures two degrees higher than the average, this week saw only the third day of the terral winds in the summer so far (the 15th July, with a maximum of 39º; and between 22nd and 23rd July, which stayed at 37º). The lack of the hot, dry terral winds, which heat the air and cool the sea, have meant that temperatures have felt milder than last summer, which saw as many as 11 days of terral winds in only one month.
Night temperatures
However, sleeping at night continues to be a challenge in Malaga. Minimum temperatures still remain high during the early hours of the morning, reaching 26.4º on Tuesday at 2 a.m. Although this is high, it is much more tolerable than temperatures measured in other provinces. Cordoba and Seville have endured the hottest night of the year, with minimum temperatures of 30.8º and 30.3º respectively. Jaén registered 29.8º, Cadiz 28.8º and Huelva 27.3º.
Recent figures have shown that the small coastal towns of the Axarquía are, on average, considerably cooler than the rest of the province. It has been confirmed, for example, that the enclave of Torrox-Costa is at least 3 degrees cooler than the centre of Malaga.
Weather forecasts have predicted a subsequent drop in temperatures over the weekend and next week. However, the current warning levels provided by the Met Office indicate that precautionary measures should be taken for babies and young children, the elderly, and those with a serious chronic illness. The heat warnings also call for increased vigilance for possible forest fires.
The Ministry of Health has advised the public that during these hot summer days one should drink plenty of water, avoid drinking alcohol, take regular cold showers and avoid heavy meals.
