Spain braces for third heat wave with temperatures projected up to 45 °C

Spain’s state weather service (AEMET) has issued a special alert for a new heat wave starting on Tuesday, 21 July, that could last until Thursday, 23 July. Forecasts call for extreme temperatures of 44‑45 °C in the southeastern quarter, the Guadalquivir valley and parts of the Ebro basin, with peaks of 43‑44 °C expected in Jerez and other interior Andalusian locations. The agency notes the event would be the third intense heat episode of the 2026 summer, following waves in late June and early July, and warns that the combination of a hot, dry air mass from North Africa and a persistent anticyclone will sustain the high temperatures.

The heat wave is already affecting daily life. AEMET’s yellow temperature alerts cover much of the peninsula, and health services have recorded 150 heat‑related emergency calls in Catalonia alone. Electricity prices have surged, with the regulated PVPC rate hitting €192 /MWh on 17 July and the peak hourly price approaching €300 /MWh as households run air‑conditioners. Experts advise keeping indoor thermostats modest, maintaining hydration, protecting vulnerable groups, and checking air‑conditioning units for efficiency, noting that outdated units can consume up to four times the electricity of a washing machine. The situation underscores the growing health and economic strain of repeated summer heat extremes in Spain.