Peninsular Spain, like much of Western Europe, is experiencing May days with temperatures well above normal, more typical of July, that is, the height of the dog days, rather than the end of spring. The State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) forecasts a relief from the heat this weekend in the Cantabrian area, where temperatures have been exceeding 35 degrees since last Friday. And, for the entire Peninsula, the head of the Meteorological Production department at Aemet, Francisco Javier Rodríguez, has predicted a thermal drop starting next Tuesday.
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In any case, according to the forecasts from this state agency, since starting from very high values, next week’s temperatures will still be above normal for this time of year. The same will happen, Rodríguez explained, in the second week of June, when the “warm anomaly” will continue, although not as strong as now.
After almost 20 cool days in May in Spain, temperatures began to rise sharply on the 18th, reaching alert levels. Aemet has heat warnings active this Thursday in seven autonomous communities, mainly in the north of the Peninsula and the Ebro valley. All are yellow, except one in the interior of Bizkaia, which is orange, meaning somewhat more serious.
Longer-term forecasts are always surrounded by more uncertainty, but Rodríguez has pointed out that models indicate that the three months of the meteorological summer — June, July, and August — will also be warmer than normal in Spain, especially in the northern and eastern peninsula.
Alerts in Italy
Meanwhile, in many areas of Western Europe, alerts and damage due to heat continue. Italy has five cities on red alert this Thursday for temperatures up to 35 degrees, a situation expected to ease from Friday with the arrival of storms and rain in the north of the country, reports Efe.
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The Ministry of Health has reactivated the national climate alert system, placing Rome, Bologna (north), Brescia (north), Florence (north), and Turin (north) at the highest risk level. This is the first extreme danger warning issued by the national prevention system, which monitors weather conditions in 27 Italian cities until September 20, in its campaign this year.
In Rome, where thermometers have climbed to 35 degrees Celsius, tourists walk the streets equipped with umbrellas, parasols, and fans in search of shade, while long lines form at the city’s historic fountains to drink water and cool off.
In this scenario, Efe explains, the Rome City Council has imposed an ordinance, effective until September 15, regulating outdoor work between 12:30 and 16:00 in the construction and agriculture sectors. After reaching the peak of the heatwave this Thursday, heavy rains are expected on Friday in the north of the country following the arrival of a cold air mass. The Civil Protection Department has already issued yellow alerts in anticipation of heavy precipitation in the north, which could include intense storms, gale-force winds, and hail in several northern regions.
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