Walter Finch
SPAIN could be set to feel its coldest temperatures of the year next week in the middle of April.
A cold front moving in from the Arctic will bring winter-like conditions for Spain and the whole of Europe.
This frigid air will descend towards the Mediterranean before moving towards the Iberian Peninsula.
By Monday, the northern third of Spain will feel the chill, spreading across the rest of the Peninsula by Wednesday.
Northern Spain will feel it first, with lows of -4C at high altitudes in northeastern parts and around 0C or slightly below across much of the northern half.
By mid-week the thermometer might drop as low as -6C in Madrid, -7C in Barcelona, -5C in Valencia and -7C in Bilbao, according to a forecast by Meteored.
However, the south coast should escape the worst of the mini-winter, with Malaga forecast 16C.
These temperatures are up to 8C lower than the average for April and, while not reaching record lows, are unusual for this time of year and more typical of winter conditions.
Although the most notable temperature drops are expected on Monday and Tuesday, the lowest minimums will likely occur early Wednesday morning.
In certain provincial capitals, temperatures could drop to -2C on Monday night.
Moderate frosts and minimums nearing -5C could be felt in high mountain areas and valleys on Wednesday night.
There might even be moderate snowfall in the Pyrenees, the northern Iberian System, and eastern Cantabrian Mountains on Tuesday.
While temperatures are expected to start returning to normal levels from Thursday onwards, the weather outlook for the rest of the week remains uncertain.
