Overview
- Spain will enter its third major heatwave of the summer beginning Tuesday July 21, with the national weather agency AEMET warning widespread daytime highs above 40°C and isolated spots possibly over 45°C.
- AEMET says the event is driven by a stationary high‑pressure pattern that traps hot, dry air from North Africa and that the episode is expected to intensify and peak around Thursday July 23.
- Large wildfires are actively burning in central and north‑eastern provinces, prompting evacuations, and come after a ferocious Almeria blaze earlier this month that killed 13 people.
- Long‑range model runs show a chance of even higher late‑July peaks in parts of Iberia and southern France but those outputs are model‑dependent and carry substantial uncertainty; the UK Met Office says early August temperatures are likely to remain above normal with a risk of further hot spells.
- Authorities have issued heat and air‑quality warnings, emergency services are preparing for more fires, and water companies have moved to restrict use with South East Water imposing a hosepipe ban from 00:01 on July 25 for Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire.