High temperatures in the Canary Islands and on Spain’s mainland are expected to continue through the weekend, particularly in the north of Spain’s mainland where they may be 10ºC to 15ºC above normal, according to Rubén del Campo, spokesperson for the State Meteorological Agency (AEMET). A cooling trend is anticipated starting Monday in the northern half of the country, influenced by the arrival of northerly winds.
Eltiempo.es explains that the current heat episode is being driven by a “powerful” upper-level ridge and a “robust” surface anticyclone, along with clear skies and increased sunshine hours. Additionally, since Thursday, a very warm and dry air mass from Africa has moved in, initially affecting the Canary Islands with haze before spreading to the Spain’s mainland.
During the weekend, both the Canary Islands and the mainland will experience very high temperatures. This heatwave poses a very high or even extreme risk of wildfires in regions like the Cantabrian area, the Mediterranean coast, and the Canary Islands. Del Campo advises taking protective measures against sun exposure and cautions about the high levels of ultraviolet radiation, which can be severe at this time of year under clear skies.
Overall, the AEMET spokesperson warns that most of Spain’s mainland and the Canary Islands are experiencing unusually high temperatures for the season. The Canary Islands recorded their peak temperatures on Thursday, with at least a dozen observatories exceeding 35ºC. Notably, Pájara (Fuerteventura) hit 38ºC and Aldea de San Nicolás reached 38.5ºC, while Tenerife South airport set a new record high for April at 38.3ºC.
The Canary Islands also experienced unusually warm nights recently, with at least half a dozen stations not dropping below 25ºC. Agüimes (Gran Canaria) recorded a high minimum temperature of 27.5ºC, indicating torrid overnight conditions.
In the western part of Spain’s mainland, temperatures were 7 to 12ºC above normal, with the highest values in southern Galicia where Ourense registered 32.2ºC. Areas in the Guadiana and Guadalquivir valleys saw temperatures reaching 30ºC.
Cooling off for the Canary Islands ahead
Moving forward, the Canary Islands will see a slight drop in temperatures compared to previous days over the weekend, although they will remain very high. In contrast, on the mainland, temperatures will continue to rise on Friday and Saturday, and stabilize on Sunday. Especially over the weekend, the northern half of Spain’s mainland may experience temperatures 10 to 15ºC above normal, creating a very warm atmosphere typical of late June.
Saturday will be another stable and dry day across the country, except in the northwest where temperatures will continue to rise. The Canary Islands will maintain temperatures exceeding 30 to 32ºC, and most of Spain’s mainland will surpass 25ºC. Additionally, some areas in southern Galicia, the eastern Cantabrian Sea, and the Ebro Valley will exceed 30ºC. Haze will be present in the archipelago but will gradually diminish.
On Sunday, temperatures will remain similar to those of the previous day, with slight decreases possible in the Cantabrian Sea area, where there may be more cloudiness and light rain. In the afternoon, there may be some showers around the Cantabrian mountains due to growing cumulus clouds.
Starting Monday, temperatures are expected to drop significantly in the northern half of the country due to northerly winds. This decrease will be notable in parts of Galicia, the Cantabrian Mountains, the Pyrenees, and the Upper Ebro, with maximum temperatures up to 8 to 10ºC lower than on Sunday. Generally, maximum temperatures will be below 18ºC in much of the extreme north of Spain’s mainland, where light showers are also possible.
Del Campo also notes that isolated showers may occur in inland areas during the afternoon due to the development of cumulus clouds, especially in the mountains of the northern half. Meanwhile, temperatures will continue to rise in the southern half, reaching 30ºC or more in areas of the Ebro depression, as well as in parts of the southeast interior and Andalusia. Major changes are not expected in the Canary Islands, which will still experience warm conditions with gradually subsiding haze.
From Tuesday onwards, temperatures will gradually drop in the Canary Islands and return to normal seasonal values by mid-week. During this period, no rain is expected in the archipelago.
Meanwhile, the mainland will experience cooler, and even cold, conditions for this time of year in the northern third, due to northerly winds starting Tuesday. There is potential for rain in northern Galicia, Cantabrian, and Pyrenees areas, with snow possible in mountain areas, particularly in the Pyrenees massif, where the snow level will be around 1000 to 1400 meters. However, snow accumulations are not expected to be significant, and precipitation will be limited to the extreme north of Spain’s mainland.
Rains may reach other areas of the country by the end of next week, although detailed forecasts will follow.
For Saturday, Eltiempo.es predicts that maximum temperatures could be higher in the north of the peninsula than in the south. By city, temperatures are expected to reach 30ºC in Bilbao and 31ºC in Lleida on Sunday. Meanwhile, weekend highs for Jaén are forecasted at 26 or 27ºC and in Córdoba at 28ºC. Other areas that could approach or exceed 30ºC include cities like Zaragoza, Ourense, or Murcia. Generally, most of the country will have maximum temperatures above 25ºC.
For Sunday, the weather portal indicates that maximum temperatures will remain without significant changes but could drop a few degrees in Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria, and the north of the Basque Country. It emphasizes that temperatures will be “more typical of June”, with anomalies in many areas of the interior of the peninsula of between +12ºC and +16ºC.
