Weather alerts activated for high temperatures along Costa del Sol with mercury forecast to hit 39C

This Sunday (20 July), another day of intense heat is forecast in Malaga province. Spain's state meteorological agency (Aemet) has activated an amber weather warning for high temperatures in the city, western Costa del Sol and Valle del Guadalhorce areas, from 1pm to 9pm. Aemet forecasts that maximum temperatures will reach 39C. On the eastern Axarquía coast of the Costa del Sol, Aemet has issued a yellow alert for the heat with the mercury expected to hit 38C between the same hours.

On Saturday, the thermometers were close to 40C , which meant that only air conditioning, cool water and the beach - in those areas where the sea breeze allowed it - made the day more bearable.

At a national level, Aemet has activated the yellow and amber risk warnings in around 12 provinces that will see temperatures range between 36 degrees and 40 degrees this Sunday afternoon.

Specifically, the provinces of Valencia, Alicante and Murcia are under an amber warning, which could exceed 40C in some areas such as the regional capitals of Murcia and Valencia.

In addition to Malaga, the provinces of Zaragoza, Huesca, Girona, Barcelona, Lleida, Castellón, Albacete and the Balearic Islands in the interior of the island of Majorca will be under a yellow warning with temperatures between 36 and 39C.

In total, this Sunday a total of 24 provinces and the autonomous city of Melilla will be exposed to temperatures above 30C, including Seville (38C), Zaragoza (38C), Lleida (37C), Cordoba (37C), Malaga and Granada with 36C or 35C in Toledo, Ciudad Real, Lleida and Huesca.

Meanwhile, minimum temperatures will not drop below 22-24 degrees in most of the Mediterranean area, north and south of the plateau, even 24-26C due to the Levante to the Costa del Sol as in the areas of Castellón, Barcelona, Palma, Murcia or Melilla, which will suffer high temperatures during the night.

In general, the forecast of the Spanish state weather agency predicts predominantly stable conditions in most of the country, with slightly cloudy skies or high clouds. However, there could be weak precipitation in the northwest, Cantabrian and Pyrenees, somewhat heavier in Galicia and western Cantabria with the passage of a weak Atlantic mass through the northwest.

In the case of the Canary Islands, the northern mountainous islands could see some instability both in the early and late hours of the day which could lead to some rain. In the rest of the islands, the weather is completely clear.