Aemet prepares to activate red 'extreme risk' alert for high temperatures of 42C on the Costa del Sol

The heat continues to give no respite in Malaga province, the Andalucía region and much of the Spanish mainland where high temperatures continue to be the main feature of the weather these recent days. Far from letting up, Spain's state weather agency (Aemet) is even preparing to activate this Wednesday (19 July) - and for the second time this month - the red level 'extreme risk' weather warning, in the province of Malaga where maximum temperatures are expected to reach 42C.

This red alert for high temperatures, the highest level that can be activated by Aemet and which is rarely seen in Malaga, will remain active from 1pm until 9pm hours in Malaga city, along the western strip of the Costa del Sol and in the Guadalhorce valley area. But watch out because it will not be the only weather warning in the province: in the Antequera and Axarquia areas the warning will be amber for maximum temperatures of around 40C and the alert level will be yellow in the Ronda area, where the mercury could reach 38 degrees.

"The terral [hot wind] will remain with us in the usual areas of the province of Malaga until Friday, to give us a break on Saturday. The day with the highest temperatures is expected tomorrow, Wednesday, while Thursday and Friday will be lower. One positive aspect of this situation will be the drop in sea water temperature, which will probably be 19 degrees on Friday. This will make the night breezes cooler," said José Luis Escudero, author of the SUR blog 'Tormentas y Rayos' (storms and lightning) . "In the Ronda and Antequera areas a drop in temperatures is expected on Friday and Saturday. There is a probability that at Malaga Airport the highest-ever value of minimum temperature could be beaten. There is also a probability of terral in Rincón de la Victoria," added Escudero.

As the Aemet forecast indicates, significantly high temperatures are expected for Wednesday in the southeast half of the Spanish mainland and the Balearic Islands, especially in the southeast third of the country. In the Andalucía region, widespread weather warnings (yellow or amber) are expected in the eight provinces where maximum temperatures may also reach 42 degrees.

In the forecast for the mainland for tomorrow, "temperatures are expected to fall, especially daytime temperatures, in the centre of country and more sharply in the north and northeast of the mainland, where it may be noticeable. They will rise in the Mediterranean area and see little change in the rest", said Aemet. Winds from the north are also expected for tomorrow in the northern third of the mainland, north of the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands. There will be westerly winds in the rest of the country, except in areas of Catalonia, Valencia and the Balearic Islands, where they will be of variable direction.