Spain's weather agency warns of Sahara dust 'calima' and 30C temperatures: here's where it's going to be hottest

This last weekend in Spain has been characterised by clear skies and good weather. Temperatures have been more typical of summer and this trend will continue at least for the first few days of this week.

The Spanish meteorological agency (Aemet) has put out a warning via its 'X' account that "the air masses currently over Spain are extremely warm". This will cause temperatures in the coming days to exceed the highest temperatures recorded between 1991 and 2020. As the Aemet post points out, this is an "episode of summer-like heat in April", following a similar one that occurred in 2023.

The start of the week will be marked by the arrival of hazy skies across the Iberian Peninsula throughout Monday. It will move in from the west and gradually subside in the Canary Islands.

In some cities, maximum temperatures could reach 30C. This is the case for Albacete, Cordoba, Jaen, Guadalajara, Huelva, Logroño, Murcia, Toledo, Madrid and Zaragoza, among others.

In general, temperatures will remain high across the country, exceeding 20C. Minimum temperatures will not fall below 10C in most Spanish provinces.

However, on Monday, the calima haze will not be the only weather phenomenon affecting Spain. Unstable weather is forecast for the Ebro valley, Navarre, the Iberian system and the Pyrenees, which could give rise to storms and hail in these areas and heavy showers in the eastern Pyrenees. In contrast to the 30 degrees in some provinces, Aemet forecasts lower maximum temperatures along the Galician coast and in the Empordà area.

On Tuesday, storms will continue, accompanied by very strong gusts of wind, in Galicia, the Cantabrian mountains, the Pyrenees and inland areas.

However, Aemet notes that "the formation of a low-pressure system to the west of the Iberian Peninsula will favour the arrival of a warm air mass of subtropical origin". The calima will continue to enter Spain from the south.

Maximum and minimum temperatures will follow the same pattern as on Monday, with peaks of 30C in cities such as Murcia and Palencia.