Brits heading on holiday warned as Spain on brink of scorching 42C heatwave

A heatwave warning has been issued in Spain as the country braces for scorching temperatures, with the mercury forcast to rise to a staggering 42C in some areas. The special heatwave notice was put out by Spain's national weather agency Aemet, covering all of the country's mainland except for the Cantabria region in the north surrounding Santander.

It came into effect on Sunday, August 3, and will run unil at least Sunday, August 10, the agency says. The elevated temperatures are caused by a dry air mass from the African continent combined with "the high amount of sunshine during this period", Aemet said, according to a Google translation. The notice says highs on Monday were expected to "exceed 38C across the southwest and south of Galicia, reaching 40-42°C in the valleys of the Guadiana, Guadalquivir, and Tagus".

On Tuesday (August 5th) "temperatures are expected to drop moderately on the Cantabrian coast, with slight increases in the southeast", it continues.

Temperatures "close to 40C will again be recorded around the main low-lying areas of the southwest of the peninsula, with temperatures likely exceeding 42C around the Guadiana and Guadalquivir rivers", Aemet adds.

Then on Wednesday and Thursday, "abnormally warm temperatures are expected to continue in the aforementioned areas, with highs similar to or locally higher than Tuesday's, given that temperatures will recover in the north of the peninsula on Wednesday and rise in the eastern third on Thursday".

The agency also flags that temps are "expected to reach 38-40°C in the main depressions in the northeast and, again, in the southwest, where temperatures exceeding 42°C are not ruled out around the Guadiana and Guadalquivir rivers".

On Friday, uncertainty increases about the weather outlook increases, Aemet says.

However, it adds that based on the information they currently have "the most likely scenario is that temperatures will drop in the Cantabrian Sea on Friday, but will rise again in the western peninsula, meaning this heat wave will persist at least until next weekend".

"During these days, temperatures exceeding 40°C are likely to be more widespread in the Guadalquivir and Guadiana rivers, although it is also possible that temperatures could be more localized in the Tagus and, to a lesser extent, in the Ebro."

It also warns that though the increased minimum temperatures "won't be as widespread or pronounced, it will be sufficient to cause significant nighttime temperatures".

"In fact, temperatures are not expected to drop below 23-25°C in areas of the central and southern peninsula, as well as along the Mediterranean coast.

"This area of high nighttime temperatures will expand starting Thursday in the southwest quadrant and even in the Ebro Valley."

It concludes that while temperatures in the Canary Islands were forecast to rise from Monday Wednesday the 6th, "the archipelago is not expected to meet the criteria for a heat wave".

An interactive map on Aemet's website shows large swathes of the country covered in amber and yellow warnings from Tuesday.

You can find the latest information and warnings on the agency's website.

Residents are urged to take precautions to stay safe in the heat including avoiding activities outside when temperatures peak and keeping hydrated.

"Red risk" health alerts have been issued by Spain's Ministry of Health for hundreds of municipalities due to the boiling conditions.

The blazing temperatures have coincided with several wildfires, with Spain and Portugal going into a state of alert over the weekend.