Fourth heatwave of summer due to hit most of Spain bringing with it maximum temperatures of 41C and 'tropical' nights

Spain is preparing to face a new heatwave, the fourth so far this summer. The state meteorological agency (Aemet) has issued a special warning for a new episode of high temperatures that will start this Sunday (20 August) and will last at least until next Wednesday.

According to the forecast, the new heatwave will affect the northeast quadrant of the mainland and the margins of the main rivers. On Sunday, "it is likely to reach 38-40C in the middle Ebro, northeastern depressions, south of the Pyrenees, extreme northeastern Catalonia, the Guadalquivir valley and western Andalucía, without ruling out that these values will also be reached locally in points of the Guadiana valley and low areas of central Spain," Aemet specified.

In the Andalucía region, highs of up to 41 degrees are forecast in the provinces of Huelva (Andévalo and Condado), Cadiz (Cadiz countryside), Seville (Seville countryside), Cordoba (in the countryside areas as well), Jaén (Guadalquivir valley, Morena and Condado, Cazorna and Segura); provinces where amber warnings (significant risk) for high temperatures will be activated from 1pm to 9pm.

For the rest of Spain, Aemet forecasts significantly high temperatures in a large part of the interior of the mainland and in the Canary Islands. Temperatures will be "significantly high in a large part of the country. They will exceed 34-36C in the south of the Canary Islands and much of the interior of the mainland except the far north, even 38-40C in river areas of the southwest quadrant and northeastern depressions. Northerly winds are expected in Galicia and the Cantabrian regions, easterly in the Mediterranean areas, moderate northeast in the Canary Islands and weak variables in the rest.

The forecast indicates that Monday and Tuesday will be the peak days of this new heatwave episode. "It is likely to reach or exceed 40 degrees in large areas of the southwestern and northeastern quadrants of the mainland, and 36-38C in the interior of the peninsula, Mallorca and southern Galicia, without ruling out the possibility of extending to points in the southeast," said Aemet.

From Wednesday 23 August, although there is a high degree of uncertainty, "the atmosphere is likely to become unstable and there will be showers and thunderstorms in inland areas of the mainland, which could lead to a slight drop in temperatures in parts of the eastern half", according to Aemet, which pointed out, however, that temperatures will continue to be high.

Finally, the Aemet special notice warned that minimum temperatures will also be very high during the heat episode, with 'tropical' nights, above 20C, and even above 23-25 degrees, in parts of the southern half, the central area and the Ebro valley.