06.07.09 - 15:44 -
Yesterday, Sunday, temperatures reached 40°C in Malaga, but today a welcome 31°C maximum is forecast.
According to figures released this week by the National Institute of Statistics, Malaga is the third sunniest Spanish city, with a total of 3,059 hours of sunlight in 2007. It was beaten into third only by Huelva, with 3,120 hours, and Izaña, in the Teide National Park, Tenerife, with 3,845 hours. In addition, Tenerife reported Spain's highest temperatures of 2007, with 21.6°C on average in Santa Cruz and 20.6°C in Las Palmas. Malaga was the fourth hottest city in mainland Spain, registering an average of 19°C. Only Seville, Alicante and Almeria recorded hotter weather.
As for rainfall, with 392.7 millimetres of rain, Malaga remains one of the driest cities in Spain. Badajoz, Santa Cruz in Tenerife and Albacete were drier still, with less than 314.5 millimetres.
Yesterday's heat, which reached 39.8°C at midday at Malaga airport, was blamed on a land breeze bringing in warm air from the heart of Spain through the Guadalhorce valley, which led to weather alerts being issued due to the extremely high temperatures. Recommendations included staying indoors with fans or air conditioning switched on, or taking a dip in the sea. Today the winds are expected to die out, with temperatures gradually cooling and a maximum forecast of 31°C, which will come as welcome news for many after three days of stifling heat.
