IT’S been a sweltering past week – even by Spanish standards – with the settling of a strong heat dome above western Europe breaking dozens of records for this time of year.
Forecasters from state meteorological agency Aemet have even taken to activating yellow heat alerts, warning of mid-summer-like highs touching 40C across large parts of inland Spain.
The latest episode of intense heat came hot on the heels of a record-breaking month when Spain registered its warmest-ever April, with average temperatures sitting more than 3C higher than normal.
But those who prefer milder weather will be happy to hear that the unprecedented spring heatwave will soon be on the move, with temperatures returning to values more typical of late May and early June.
According to Aemet, temperatures will remain high at the start of next week before slowly dropping away, with uncomfortable tropical nights giving way to cooler evenings.
It will still be hot, forecasters say, but at a much more manageable level than over the past ten days.
Rainfall will remain scarce across most of the country – bar a cluster of thunderstorms popping up in humid, mountainous areas.
Northern and eastern mainland areas could even see the mercury drop to a lower-than-normal level for this time of year.
Looking further ahead, meteorologists expect similar conditions during the second week of June.
There appears to be a growing likelihood that the summer months of June, July and August will be hotter than usual.
READ MORE: Spain records warmest April on record with average temperature more than 3C higher than normal
According to Aemet, northern and eastern areas including the Costa Blanca and Balearic Islands have around a 70 per cent chance of enjoying a warmer-than-normal three months.
That dips slightly to around 50 per cent for central and southern Spain, including inland Andalucia and the Costa del Sol.
There is a 30 per cent chance that temperatures will sit as normal, and a 20 per cent chance that it will be cooler than in recent years.
Aemet say it is likely that intense heat episodes such as the May heatwave will dominate, although there will also be periods with milder temperatures.
In many areas, there will also be a higher possibility of more rainfall than usual.
This does not necessarily mean a wet summer, as this time of year is normally always dry, but could suggest an increase in the number of thunderstorms and sudden DANA episodes.
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