Spain endures 42°C heat as wave eases, fire risk remains high

Spain heatwave 42°C temperatures AEMET alerts fire risk car breakdowns

The State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) reported that interior Andalusia, the Guadalquivir valley and parts of Cádiz recorded temperatures up to 42 °C on 1 August, even after the fourth summer heat wave officially ended on 31 July. AEMET issued an orange alert for Huelva for “danger important” with maximum temperatures of 40 °C and a red alert for Gran Canaria as temperatures above 40 °C and humidity below 30 % raise the risk of wildfires. A cold front arriving from the north is expected to lower temperatures across most of Spain from Saturday onward, with maximums falling to 30‑34 °C by early next week, although the Atlantic side of Andalusia will still see 40‑42 °C.

The extreme heat has already driven a 50 % rise in vehicle breakdowns, especially affecting engines and cooling systems, and Barcelona’s metro platforms have exceeded 30 °C, with only the deep‑level L9 and L10 lines equipped with active cooling. The fire season remains severe: more than 186 000 ha have burned in 2026, with 38 large forest fires, and the Canary Islands have raised the fire‑alert level to the maximum for Gran Canaria above 400 m as of 3 August. Authorities continue to warn of very high fire danger despite the cooling trend.

Entities: AEMET · AEMET (Agencia Estatal de Meteorología) · AEMET (Spanish State Meteorological Agency) · Andalusia · Autoclub Mutua · Barcelona Metro · Canary Islands · Cádiz province · Euromaster · Gran Canaria · Huelva · Huelva Province

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

[○ 1 SOURCE] Electricity consumption has surged due to intensive use of cooling systems during the heat wave. (AEMET report)
[○ 1 SOURCE] AEMET issued an orange alert for Huelva for “danger important” with maximum temperatures of 40 °C. (AEMET alert)
[○ 1 SOURCE] Car breakdowns increased up to 50 % during extreme heat, especially affecting engines, radiators and cooling systems. (Euromaster and Mutua analysis)
[○ 1 SOURCE] Temperatures in the Cádiz province on August 1 are expected to reach 42 °C in Villamartín and Puerto Serrano. (AEMET forecast)
[○ 1 SOURCE] Tenerife may reach 37 °C with calima and night minima not dropping below 26 °C. (AEMET forecast)
[○ 1 SOURCE] Maximum temperatures of 40‑42 °C are expected in interior and southern Spain, especially in the Guadalquivir valley. (AEMET forecast)
[○ 1 SOURCE] The Canary Islands are forecast to have temperatures above 35 °C, with local peaks up to 39 °C on Gran Canaria. (AEMET forecast)
[● 2 SOURCES] AEMET announced that the fourth summer heat wave will end, with temperatures dropping on Saturday in the Mediterranean and generally between Sunday and Monday. (AEMET)
[○ 1 SOURCE] AEMET announced that temperatures will start to drop on Saturday in the Mediterranean and will become generally lower from Sunday to Monday across Spain. (AEMET forecast)
[○ 1 SOURCE] The Canary Islands are forecast to see temperatures up to 35‑37 °C with calima and warm night minima. (AEMET forecast)
[○ 1 SOURCE] Car breakdowns increased up to 50 % during extreme heat periods in Spain. (Car breakdowns increased up to 50 % during extreme heat periods in Spain.)
[● 2 SOURCES] The wildfire near Fermoselle in Zamora province burned about 7 000 ha, started on 22 July 2026 under temperatures of 36‑39 °C, humidity below 10 % and wind gusts up to 45 km/h. (Fire operation reports)