Weather

‘Exceptionally’ hot weather to sweep Spain this week

Madrid, Apr 24 (EFE).- Spain is bracing itself for “exceptional and unusual” weather that is expected to bring high temperatures more typical of the height of summer than mid-spring, the spokesman for the country’s meteorological department said Monday.

The air mass “could be the warmest over Spain for this time of year in at least the last 43 years,” said Ruben Del Campo, spokesman for Aemet (State Meteorological Agency).

Temperatures in the southern city of Seville could reach 40 degrees Celsius in the coming days, while officials are forecasting 35C in Zaragoza in the northeast and 33C in the capital Madrid.

Last year was the hottest on record in Spain, as the country sweltered through multiple heatwaves that depleted reservoirs and led to water restrictions being imposed.

The “exceptionally high” temperatures for April are down to several factors, including hot air from North Africa, atmospheric stability and prevailing strong sunshine and low rainfall.

Thursday and Friday are expected to be the hottest days – 10 and 15 degrees above average – although by Tuesday temperatures will already be between 5 and 10 degrees higher than normal in most of the country.

“Even up to more than 15 degrees above normal on Friday in southern parts of the peninsula,” Del Campo stressed.

Minimum temperatures will also be much higher than normal for the time of year, with lows of 20C forecast in the southern provinces of Almeria, Alicante, Jaen and Malaga.

The north of the peninsula, especially the Atlantic coast of Galicia and the Cantabrian communities, will be spared the worst of the heat.EFE

esl/ks/ch

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