The weekend set a new national heat record in southern Spain, with temperatures soaring to 46 degrees Celsius in the town of El Granado near the Portuguese border.
The Spanish National Weather Service AEMET confirmed the record on Sunday as both Spain and Portugal endured unusually early summer heat waves.
In 1965, the height of 45.2 degrees in Spain was 45.2 degrees in June.
Dozens of towns across Spain report temperatures above 40 degrees or above, while nearby Portugal is also stuffy. In the Algarve tourist area in the southern part of the country, the high point reaches about 40 degrees.
On the Mallorca resort island in Spain, the temperature rose to nearly 35 degrees.
Overnight conditions were hardly alleviated. In southern Spain, night lows remain above 30 degrees, which experts say persistent calories can pose serious health risks.
Locals are used to restricting outdoor activities during peak hours, wearing lightweight clothing and often moisturizing to cope with extreme temperatures. However, the combination of hot heat and strong sunlight is rapidly drying the soil and vegetation, greatly increasing the risk of wildfires.
Meteorologists warn that this heat wave is becoming more frequent due to human-driven climate change and arrives earlier this season. According to AEMET, between 1975 and June 2000, only two heat waves were recorded. Between 2000 and 2024, this number rose to nine. This year, as early as late May, temperatures approached August levels.
