Ricardo Torrijo
Meteorologist of the National Forecasting Center of AEMET
The high temperatures forecast for Thursday and Friday of this week in various parts of the peninsula are not at all a usual situation for this time of year. It is something very unusual and records may be broken in several stations. Particularly striking are the high values that could be reached in the Guadalquivir valley. However, there is still some uncertainty in the temperatures that can be reached, so we will have to wait to see what happens to make an assessment.
On the other hand, regional projections for Spain, made by AEMET specialists, based on internationally recognized global models, point, for the coming decades, to a progressive advance of summer and a more marked rise in temperatures in this season, and with a greater number of heat waves.
It is possible that we are on the verge of the first heat warnings of the year. In the face of warning situations, including those due to heat, we recommend the population to be informed of the weather situation, to follow the advice of Civil Protection and to act with prudence and common sense. And not only because of the effects of the heat; the risk of fire is also very high and citizens should be asked to exercise extreme caution. Finally, the UV radiation index is very high, which has nothing to do with the heat, but with clear skies. However, the heat encourages people to wear less clothing and do more outdoor activities, so we also urge caution against overexposure to the sun.