Aemet issues new special warning about heatwave in Spain: this is how long it will last and the areas it will most affect

The heatwave that has arrived in Spain will stay for a while longer yet. That is the conclusion of the new special warning issued by Spain's state weather agency Aemet this Wednesday. August has already been very hot, with temperatures hovering around 40C in many parts of the country.

Aemet warned this morning that values are expected to remain «abnormally warm» this afternoon and Thursday, and the weather agency's new warning offers little comfort.

The second heatwave of summer began on Sunday 3 August and will last at least until Tuesday 12. The word «at least» is important, as Aemet does not guarantee that the extreme heat will cease on that day.

«On Thursday 7 August a generalised upward trend in temperatures will begin again, with little significant changes expected on Friday 8. These two days will exceed 36-38C in most of the interior of the Spanish mainland, and may reach 40-42C in the northeastern depressions and in the Miño, Tagus, Guadiana and Guadalquivir river valleys,» the agency forecasts.

At the weekend the situation will be even more extreme, also affecting some parts of the north. «During the weekend, the slightly upward trend in temperatures is expected to continue in areas of the southern and eastern half of the peninsula, moving on Sunday to the Cantabrian area and northern Galicia, where the increases could be significant. In this way, it is expected to exceed 40-42C in the same areas previously mentioned, and without ruling them out on Sunday in the inland areas of the Basque Country«.

Looking ahead to the start of next week, temperatures will vary little, as indicated by Aemet. «The most likely scenario for the start of next week is that temperatures will continue to be abnormally warm, except in the northern third of the country, where they are likely to start to fall. It is possible that additional thermal rises will be recorded, reaching 42-44C around the main depressions in the southern half and northeastern quadrant of the Spanish mainland, so taking this into account it is likely that this heat wave episode will last until at least Tuesday 12 August«.

This will not spare the Canary Islands. «It is expected that the peak of the episode will be during the weekend, when it could exceed 38-40C and even extend to low areas. In addition, minimum temperatures are expected to be significantly high, with values that could not drop below 26-28C, especially on southern slopes«.