Spain’s first summer heatwave tickles temperatures to 42ºC

The beach may be your best option in Spain this week as high temperatures shuttle across inland areas.

There was a (not-so) old adage that used to go something like this: “How do you know when somebody has an iPhone? They will tell you.”

It doesn’t quite work anymore, what with most people owning one, but those who delight in such smarminess can simply log on to Facebook or Twitter and change it to: “How can you tell when it is warm in the UK? Don’t worry, every. Single. Brit. will tell you.”

Yes, in case you hadn’t noticed, the UK is experiencing something of a heatwave this week, with temperatures reaching past 30ºC in most parts of England, and prompting a near-endless stream of red-raw shoulder selfies, “chillin’ in the park with ice cream” updates, and the inevitable moaning about “not being cut out” for this type of weather…

It’s all rather cute, really. The UK rarely gets blessed with such sunshine and warmth, and despite millions of Brits heading to Spain every year to enjoy such conditions, the fact that it’s Barnstaple rather than Benidorm that is seeing the sun seems to confuse people.

Well, spare a thought for those who find themselves in Spain this week where the country is set to endure, rather than enjoy, its very own heatwave. According to the country’s weather agency Aemet, temperatures in many parts of Spain are set to reach at least 42ºC this week, which is not exactly rare but also not the norm for mid-July.

True, this time of year is usually the time when records are broken, but any length of time where the mercury tops 40ºC for an extended period is usually classed as a heatwave, even in a country as hot as Spain.

There are 38 Spanish provinces on high alert this week for high temperatures, with 13 of those classified as “high risk”, meaning that the high temperatures could be damaging to health, particularly among the elderly or infirm. Dry air in the interior also increases the chance of forest fires breaking out.

Most of the provinces thought to be at risk of the highest temperatures are in Spain’s inland and southern regions, with the coastal resorts – most popular with holidaymakers – spared the worst of the heat due to the cooling effects of the Mediterranean. Toledo and Ciudad Real, near to Madrid, is warned to expect 42ºC this week, with Córdoba, just north of Málaga, in line for temperatures of 40ºC.

Capital Madrid will also see similar temperatures, but Aemet does report that the mercury will fall by a couple of degrees nationwide by the end of the week.