Maximum temperatures will fall across most of mainland Spain today, Monday, marking the start of a week of “mild heat”, except in the Mediterranean region, the Canary Islands and the Balearics, with showers and thunderstorms in the north of the country.

This was announced on Monday by Rubén del Campo, spokesperson for the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet). He noted that the heat characterising the coming days will be “more typical of this time of year, without extremes”, following the end of the summer’s fourth heatwave.

As for the Canary Islands, high temperatures will persist and there will be a stifling heat for much of the week, accompanied by strong trade winds. Consequently, in the region, “especially on the more mountainous islands, the fire risk will be very high or extreme”, he warned.

Del Campo also highlighted that there will be greater atmospheric instability this week, with the possibility of heavy, stormy showers accompanied by hail in the north and east of the mainland
The AEMET forecasts a general drop in maximum temperatures today of “between 4 and 5 degrees” compared with those recorded on Sunday. Despite this, “the fire risk will remain very high or extreme across much of the mainland”, whilst in the south-east and the Balearics it will continue to be “quite hot”, with temperatures reaching 38 to 40 degrees.

The arrival of a weather front will bring rain to Galicia and neighbouring areas, with showers and thunderstorms expected in the north-east, the Lower Ebro region and Lleida, and cannot be ruled out in Catalonia and Aragon.

Tuesday and Wednesday
On Tuesday, lower minimum temperatures are forecast for the interior of the mainland, with warm early mornings along the Mediterranean coast. During the day, maximum temperatures will generally rise again, particularly in the eastern interior of the mainland, and will exceed 35 degrees in the Ebro depression, the south-east of the mainland, the Guadalquivir Valley and Mallorca.

The forecast includes showers and thunderstorms in the north-east of the mainland, particularly in Aragon, Catalonia and the north of the Valencian Community, and hot weather in the Canary Islands, where maximum temperatures will exceed 34 to 36 degrees across large areas and even reach 40 degrees in Gran Canaria.

Temperatures will continue to rise across the peninsula on Wednesday, exceeding 36 degrees in eastern, central and southern parts of the country, as well as in Mallorca. Accordingly, the weather will be more stable than in previous days, with thunderstorms in the north-east – which may be severe in the areas around the Pyrenees and the Iberian System – and could be accompanied by hail.

There will be no major changes in temperature in the Canary Islands, where, once again, the trade winds could reach very strong gusts and the minimum temperatures in Gran Canaria could drop below 30 degrees. The AEMET warns that the risk of wildfires will be very high or extreme on the more mountainous islands.

Thursday and Friday
Del Campo forecasts northerly winds for Thursday in the north of the mainland, where temperatures will fall and there will be persistent rain along the Cantabrian coast and in the Pyrenees. Temperatures will be “cool for the time of year” and in cities such as A Coruña, Oviedo, Burgos, Bilbao, Vitoria and Pamplona they will be below 25 degrees.

Temperatures, however, will rise in the south-west, exceeding 36 degrees. “There will be a significant contrast. Temperatures will exceed 36 degrees across much of the centre and south of the peninsula, reaching 38 or 40 degrees in the Guadalquivir Valley,” notes Del Campo. As for Friday, the weather in the north of the mainland is expected to be more stable, with thunderstorms confined to the Pyrenees region, although the forecast for that day and next weekend remains “subject to uncertainty”.