On Tuesday, Spain faced a second heat wave that hit the country unusually early in less than a month, with temperatures reaching levels normally recorded in July and August, while France began preparing for similar conditions.
Temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius in large parts of Spain are much higher than normal at this time of year, and officials have advised people to drink plenty of fluids and to stay indoors or in the shade as much as possible.
“This early heat wave, which reached a record level and came after another heatwave less than a month ago, is … very worrying,” said Spain’s Minister for Environmental Transformation Teresa Ribera.
Meteorologists expected temperatures to reach 43 degrees Celsius in the city of Cordoba in the south, 41 degrees Celsius in Badajoz in the west and 40 degrees Celsius in Toledo in the center.
The highest temperature was recorded on Monday, 42.9 degrees Celsius, in the southern city of Montoro, near Cordoba.
The Meteorological Service warned of the danger of forest fires, which it classified as “severe” in various regions of Spain, with the exception of the northern “Asturias” region and the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean.
The heat wave started over the weekend and is expected to last until at least Saturday, with temperatures 7 to 12 degrees Celsius above average for this time of year.
The wave, which arrived with hot air from North Africa, is heading to southwest France, where the National Weather Service warned that temperatures could rise to more than 40 degrees Celsius between Thursday and Saturday, while the entire country is expected to witness a wave hotter than usual.
French government spokeswoman Olivia Gregoire called for caution and warned that the elderly, those living alone and the homeless were particularly at risk.
Spain faced a heat wave at the end of May when temperatures rose 15°C above the seasonal average. Last month was the hottest May in Spain since the turn of the century.
Scientists say heat waves are becoming more likely due to climate change, and are expected to become more intense and widespread as global temperatures rise.
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