Malaga province escapes cold snap hitting parts of Spain

While cold has gripped much of Spain again this week, Malaga province and the Costa del Sol have become an oasis that maintains almost summery weather.

Maximum temperatures in Malaga city are around 26C, while other coastal areas where the warm 'terral' wind blows may reach 29C in coming days.

The temperature difference in comparison with northern cities can reach 10C. Even in the middle of Spain, Madrid has only recorded a maximum of 16C.

This stems from the convergence of an Atlantic storm and a mass of cold air from the north. This has brought rain and even snow above 1,200 metres in some parts of Spain.

"This week a low-pressure system in the Atlantic, with rain mainly in the north and west of mainland Spain, will mark the weather," Aemet meteorological agency spokesperson Rubén del Campo said.

Winds from high latitudes are bringing a mass of cold air, "with temperatures significantly lower than normal for this time of year and precipitation primarily in the north".

Looking ahead to the weekend, temperatures in the northern half of the country will be 5-10C below normal for this time of year, "more typical of March".

This forecast refers to a popular phenomenon in Central and Northern Europe: the Ice Saints. This term reflects the period between 11 and 15 May, when, historically, dreaded frosts often occurred, destroying crops just as they were beginning to sprout.

Farmers used to turn to the saints whose feast days they celebrated on these days for protection: Saint Mamertus (11 May); Saint Pancras (12 May); Saint Servatius (13 May); and Saint Boniface (14 May).

In Spain, the coldest provinces at the end of this week will be those in the Castilla y León region (Ávila, Burgos, León and Segovia), as well as the provinces of Huesca, Oviedo, Pamplona, Soria, Vitoria and A Coruña.

These parts of Spain will see their maximum temperatures drop to 15-16C. At the same time, maximum temperatures in the provinces of Malaga, Seville, Murcia, Valencia and Badajoz will approach 30C.

In Malaga, the weather behaves independently. To begin with, after three consecutive weekends of rain, local weather expert José Luis Escudero has announced that there is no longer any possibility of further rain.

During the early hours of Saturday, between 3am and 4am, the wind will shift from west to east, with very strong gusts, although these will only last a few minutes (known as a mini-galerna).

On Saturday, the easterly winds will bring a drop in temperatures, with a maximum of around 23C in Malaga city and along the coast and a minimum of 14-15C.

They will also bring general relief from allergies, as the winds will be from the sea.

This will be the prelude to the definitive arrival of the summer. "Next week, an anticyclonic ridge will arrive, accompanied by a very warm air mass of subtropical origin," Escudero said.

"This means that summer is finally here." Starting Tuesday, temperatures on the coast will hover around 27C, exceeding 30C in the Antequera district.