Spain Set To Hit 'Unheard Of Highs' As Temperatures Break Records

Spanish residents are facing the hottest ever May as temperatures reach a scorching 42C (107F) due to warm air coming from Africa. 

A mass of hot and dry air from North Africa has seen temperatures soaring up to 15 degrees above average, with residents left sweltering in 41C (106F) in parts of the country.

The ‘extraordinarily hot’ temperatures are forecast to push northeast as the heatwave is expected to continue past Sunday.

Spain’s meteorological agency Aemet predicted 'one of the hottest Mays in this country in recent years' and said it was 'extraordinarily hot for the time of year'.

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Aemet said it activated its national plan for excess temperatures two weeks early on Thursday as 'the summer is starting in the spring'.

Spokesperson Rubén del Campo said: "The last updates to the meteorological models confirm the extraordinary intensity of this heatwave."

Reports confirmed that on Friday the temperature at Seville airport reached 41C (106F), while the city of Segovia, northwest of Madrid, had overnight temperatures above 20C (68F) for the first time ever in May.

Several locations in the Southern region of Andalucia have been warned that temperatures are expected to break the 40C (100F) barrier. The heatwave has been described as ‘something unheard of in that area in May’.

Del Campo added: "For Spain as a whole, it could be the most intense May heatwave of the past 20 years in terms of both the maximum and minimum temperatures. The climate in Spain isn’t the one we used to know. It’s got more extreme."

The rising temperatures have been branded a ‘direct and palpable’ consequence of climate change.

"What is happening fits perfectly with a situation where the planet is hotter," he said.

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The State Meteorological Agency said Friday it had put four regions on alert due to the heat.

The regions of Castilla-La Mancha, Extremadura and Madrid were under a yellow alert, meaning they were at risk, while the southern region of Andalusia was under an orange alert, meaning a significant risk.

No region was under red alert, the highest level that corresponds to an extreme risk.

Del Campo has also warned of the extreme risks of forest fires across the southern, central, and north-eastern regions of the country.

The Spanish government has warned that vulnerable groups such as children, pregnant women and older and chronically ill people in affected areas will be at higher risk. They advise keeping hydrated and wearing light clothing.

Spain recorded its highest ever temperature only last year, when the Andalucían town of Montoro near Cordoba hit 117F (47C) on August 15.