Fiona Govan
HIGH temperatures continued across Spain in what has officially been declared a record-breaking heatwave for June.
The mercury soared to over 40ºC in much of mainland Spain seeing 15 out of 17 regions issued with weather warnings.
Temperatures were expected to hit 43C in the Andalucian city of Córdoba in the south, 41C in Badajoz in the west and 40C in Toledo in the centre, according to meteorological agency AEMET on Tuesday.
The highest temperature recorded on Tuesday was 42.9C in the southern town of Montoro, near Córdoba, which last year set the record for the hottest spot in all of Spain.
“It is not normal to have such an extreme heatwave at this time of the year,” insisted AEMET ‘s spokesman Ruben del Campo who described it as ‘the earliest heatwave since record began’.
The weather agency warned that the risk of wildfires was considered “extreme” across most of Spain with conditions transforming woodland into a tinterbox.
The month of May was declared the hottest seen in Spain since the turn of the century, reaching some 15ºC above the seasonal average.
READ MORE:
- Official guide to keeping cool as Spain braces for first official heatwave of the year
- Current heatwave prompts forest fire concerns in Spain’s Andalucia—with call for ‘maximum caution and responsibility’ from all citizens
