Spanish meteorologists warned that Tuesday could become the hottest June day on record as an intense heat dome pushes temperatures above 40C (104F) across much of the country.
Spain’s weather agency AEMET has placed nearly the entire country under heat advisories, with the highest alerts in parts of Andalusia, the Basque Country and Cantabria, where temperatures could climb to 44C (111F).
Around 17 of Spain’s 50 provincial capitals are expected to see temperatures exceed 40C (104F). Tropical nights, when temperatures do not fall below 20C (68F), are also expected to be widespread, making it difficult for buildings to cool down.
“Tuesday could become the hottest day ever recorded in June and come close to becoming the hottest day on record overall,” RTVE meteorologist Marc Santandreu said.
The heat wave began Sunday and has already broken records.
AEMET said temperatures have remained above 30C (86F) overnight in parts of southeastern Spain for three consecutive days, an unprecedented event for June on the Iberian Peninsula.
Palma de Mallorca also recorded its hottest June night on record.
The extraordinary heat wave is being driven by a heat dome stretching across much of Western Europe, combined with a mass of very hot, dry air moving north from the Sahara Desert.
According to AEMET, a high-pressure system over continental Europe and a low-pressure system west of the Iberian Peninsula are pushing the Saharan air mass northward.
Climate change made the extreme heat at least five times more likely, according to the Climate Shift Index.
Combined with intense summer sunshine, the pattern is expected to produce exceptionally high and persistent temperatures through at least midweek.
Several other European countries, including France, Italy, Switzerland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and the UK, have also issued their highest-level heat warnings.
