SPAIN has activated its first-ever September red alerts for extreme heat as temperatures in Andalucia equal the 2026 record.
The mercury hit a blistering 45.7C in El Granado, a town in Huelva province, on Thursday.
This peak ties the national September heat record previously set in Montoro, Cordoba, exactly a decade ago in 2016.
The state meteorological agency (AEMET) triggered the maximum level warnings for the Sevillian countryside and the Morena and Condado areas of Jaen.
It marks the first time a red heat warning has been issued in September since the national weather warning system, Meteoalerta, was launched in 2007.
The red alerts were set for temperatures of 44C or higher and remained in place until 8.59pm on Thursday.
Sevilla-Tablada also recorded 45.1C, equalling Spain’s highest temperature of the year which was previously recorded in Andujar and Montoro in June.
AEMET noted that it is exceptionally rare for the country’s annual peak temperature to occur outside of July and August.
The extreme conditions follow a fortnight of normal to below-average temperatures across the Atlantic and Cantabrian slopes.
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The sudden influx of hot, dry and dust-laden air is being driven by high pressure over North Africa acting in tandem with an approaching DANA, an isolated high-altitude storm system.
Despite the extreme heat, AEMET explicitly stated that the event will very likely not be formally classified as a heatwave.
Catalunya is also baking in the late-summer furnace, with the Catalan meteorological agency (Meteocat) issuing a level three out of six danger warning for intense heat over the weekend.
Temperatures are expected to exceed 40C in the Ebro Valley and western parts of the region, while hovering between 38C and 39C across the interior.
Night-time temperatures will offer little relief, with tropical minimums of 24C to 25C forecast across the south-western quadrant.
Meanwhile, the approaching DANA threatens to split the country’s weather in two by the weekend.
While the south and east continue to bake, the northwest of the country will be battered by intense convective storms and hail from 5pm on Saturday.
Galicia, Asturias and parts of Castilla y Leon, specifically El Bierzo and Sanabria, have been told to brace for heavy downpours and very strong wind gusts.
The Canary Islands will also face significant suspended dust, known locally as calima, alongside strong trade winds and temperatures topping 35C.
Authorities continue to warn of an extreme fire risk across much of the mainland and the Balearic Islands, advising vulnerable expats and locals to avoid outdoor activities during the central hours of the day.
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