This Saturday, Spain is under the influence of a powerful anticyclone bringing a significant heatwave. A total of 23 provincial capitals are expected to register temperatures above 32 degrees Celsius. The city of Badajoz will be the most affected, with thermometers reaching 39 degrees. Other cities like Cáceres, Córdoba, and Logroño will record highs of 37 degrees, according to the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet).
The areas experiencing the most extreme temperatures are the southwestern peninsula, the Ebro valley, and some parts of the northern plateau. Ciudad Real, Jaén, Lleida, Salamanca, Sevilla, Toledo, Zamora, and Zaragoza will reach 36 degrees, while Palencia and Valladolid will be around 35 degrees.
On the cooler end, the mildest capitals will be Ceuta and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, with highs of 23 degrees. They are followed by Melilla with 25 degrees, Málaga and Santa Cruz de Tenerife with 28, and Alicante, Cádiz, and Tarragona, which will not exceed 29 degrees. Cities such as Burgos, Castellón de la Plana, Girona, Granada, Guadalajara, Huesca, León, Madrid, and Palma will range between 33 and 34 degrees.
Nights will also offer little respite in much of the country. Tropical nights are expected, with minimum temperatures not dropping below 20 degrees Celsius, particularly in the southwestern river valleys and along the Mediterranean coast. Almería, Cádiz, and Jaén will experience the most intense nighttime heat, with temperatures not falling below 22 degrees.
Sunday anticipates a notable shift in the weather pattern. The anticyclone will weaken, and a mass of cold air at high altitudes will cause instability in the interior of the peninsula. Aemet has issued yellow alerts for strong storms in several autonomous communities, including Andalusia, Asturias, Cantabria, Castilla y León, Castilla-La Mancha, Galicia, Extremadura, and the Community of Madrid.
Despite the instability, temperatures will remain high on Sunday, especially inland. Zaragoza will be the hottest capital with 38 degrees, followed by Lleida and Logroño with 37. Córdoba and Toledo will register 36 degrees, while Badajoz, Cáceres, Ciudad Real, Granada, Huesca, Madrid, and Pamplona will be around 35 degrees. In contrast, coastal areas will enjoy milder conditions, with Málaga, Alicante, Almería, and Tarragona not exceeding 29 degrees.
The final week of spring, beginning Monday, will feature unstable weather across most of the country, except for coastal areas, the southwest, and the archipelagos. Maximum temperatures are expected to decrease generally across the peninsula, although the Tajo and Guadiana valleys could still exceed 35 degrees, and the Ebro valley might remain between 36 and 37 degrees.
