Walter Finch
A rare spell of cooler weather is set to sweep across much of Spain this weekend, offering welcome relief after weeks of stifling heat — just as the UK braces for a blistering heatwave with temperatures hitting 40C.
From Thursday to Sunday, a significant drop in temperatures will affect nearly all provinces in Andalucía, with Saturday forecast to be up to 7C cooler than average.
Inland areas are expected to remain below 30C, while night-time temperatures could fall below 20C, and even as low as 15C in mountainous zones, giving residents a chance to sleep comfortably for the first time in weeks.
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The only exceptions will be the Costa del Sol and the coast of Almería, where conditions will be milder but still warmer than elsewhere.
But this brief reprieve in Spain comes against the backdrop of a Europe once again heading into relentless heat.
Across the continent, temperature anomalies of +8C are forecast in the coming days, raising serious concerns over dwindling water reservoirs and the risk to inland water transport as drought conditions worsen.
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Meteorologists warn that these extremes are no longer outliers, but signs of a shifting climate.
Before 2022, 40C had never appeared in UK forecast models. That changed with the record-breaking 40.3C heatwave on 19 July 2022, and now, such forecasts have become alarmingly common.
This weekend may bring a short-lived respite to southern Spain — but the wider trend points to a new climate reality across Europe, where intense and prolonged heatwaves are fast becoming the norm.
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