Spain's fourth heat wave of the summer began Wednesday, bringing temperatures of up to 42°C and prompting orange weather alerts across nine autonomous communities. The State Meteorological Agency issued a special advisory warning that the extreme heat will persist at least through Sunday, with yellow or orange warnings active across most of the country except Asturias, Murcia and the Balearic Islands.
The Ebro river valley and central Navarra are expected to see the highest readings on Wednesday, reaching up to 42°C, while southwestern river valleys and the Ebro basin face temperatures of 40-42°C. Minimum temperatures are rising across the Iberian Peninsula and the Canary Islands. By Friday, inland areas of the southern peninsula and the Guadalquivir valley may reach 40-42°C.
The spell comes as July 2026 is confirmed as the warmest July since records began in 1961, tied with 2022. Wildfires have already burned 153,000 hectares this year according to the Copernicus system, far exceeding the 20-year annual average of 95,000.