Malaga's contradictory weather: more heat and less humidity while rain prevails in rest of Spain

The city of Malaga and the Costa del Sol in general function as an "independent meteorological republic", with weather conditions that are often different to those of the rest of Andalucía and Spain.

The first heatwave of the summer ended on Wednesday, having barely grazed the province, except in the northern municipalities bordering the provinces of Seville and Cordoba.

Only now, when a 'dana' (isolated cold drop) and colder air mass are approaching the interior of the country, temperatures will rise in Malaga.

"Most people from Malaga know that when temperatures drop in much of Andalucía after an intense heatwave, the opposite happens in some areas of the province, due to the warm terral wind," weather expert José Luis Escudero says.

Conversely, on days like these, areas such as Antequera and Ronda usually experience a sharp drop in temperatures.

Between Thursday and Friday, the 'dana' will bring westerly winds and a land breeze to the areas where the terral usually visits. Temperatures will certainly rise, especially in the city of Malaga and commuter towns, the Guadalhorce Valley, Vélez-Málaga and Estepona.

Although it may seem paradoxical at first, the perceived temperature (what the human body feels) will be even more pleasant than in previous days. How is this possible? Well, as Escudero explains, it's due to the convergence of three factors.

First, the westerly wind will not be very intense, at least not in the city.

"Between Thursday and Friday, we could see temperatures between 33C and 34C, depending on the area of the city and whether a pure terral wind prevails or it remains a westerly wind with a terral component," Escudero explains.

When the latter occurs, temperature differences within the city are usually significant, as the neighbourhoods closest to the sea barely notice the temperature rise.

Meanwhile, in the interior of the Guadalhorce Valley, in towns like Álora, Coín and Pizarra, maximum temperatures will reach 34-35C, with the rise being most noticeable on Friday. Meanwhile, in Estepona and Manilva, temperatures will be similar to those in Malaga city.

The second factor that will most influence this change in the weather will be the drastic drop in relative humidity, which has been at its peak in recent days, around 80 per cent, causing intense heat and constant sweating.

The third factor is that the westerly winds will carry away the haze, making the air much cleaner, more breathable and free of the greenhouse effect caused by suspended dust.

As further proof that Malaga is unique, while here the thermometers rise and the skies clear, the 'dana' to the west of mainland Spain will give rise to storms, accompanied by heavy showers, hail and strong winds, especially in the north-western regions.

Low pressure systems aloft and the arrival of colder air in the upper atmosphere will trigger storms, especially during the afternoons in various areas of northern Spain. The precipitation will primarily affect areas of the Pyrenees, the Iberian System, northern Castilla y León, parts of the Central System and the Montes de Toledo, the Cantabrian Mountains and much of Galicia, according to Eltiempo.es.

Rainfall is expected to be particularly heavy in parts of León and Zamora, the Cantabrian coast and Galicia. In these areas, hail and strong gusts of wind may accompany it. In fact, accumulations of more than 30mm are expected in Lugo in just one hour.

Thursday will begin with stable, clear skies across most regions, except for Galicia, where storms will develop early in the morning due to cold air aloft and low pressure at ground level. These storms will spread throughout the day, affecting not only Galicia but also much of the northern plateau, Asturias, Madrid, parts of the southern plateau and Andalucía.

Today's weather forecast for Malaga province