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ARCHIVED - Spain set to sizzle in hottest May weekend in 20 years: weather forecast May 20-22
Day-time temperatures will exceed 40ºC in much of Spain while tropical nights are on the horizon
It’s time to get the sunscreen and umbrellas out as Spain is headed for the most intense heat episode seen in the month of May in more than 20 years. The “extraordinary” heatwave has already begun, with parts of Andalucía and the Region of Murcia topping 35ºC on Tuesday and Wednesday, but the real temperature explosion will occur over the weekend, according to State Meteorological Agency Aemet.
The experts predict that daytime temperatures will generally hover around the mid-30s, exceeding a sizzling 40ºC in many areas, while sleeping is about to become a little uncomfortable with “tropical nights” forecast, when the mercury will scarcely dip below 20ºC.
AEMET continued: “The warm episode will be very unusual for mid-May: daytime temperatures between 10ºC and 15ºC above normal and night temperatures between 5ºC and 10ºC above, with tropical nights in which it will not drop below 20ºC.”
A very warm, dry African air mass will enter Spain and the Balearic Islands and intensify throughout Friday May 20, heating up over the weekend due to the presence of a low pressure front in the southwest of the country. Temperatures will “be exceptionally high for these dates” but the bad news is that a southerly wind will carry some suspended dust and will lead to haze and reduced visibility in the coming days.
The hottest day by far will be Saturday May 21, with the thermometers set to hit 34-37ºC “quite widely” across Spain, particularly in inland areas and in Mallorca. These temperatures will be easily exceeded in the Guadalquivir valley, where 40-42ºC could easily be reached.
At the same time, night-time temperatures will be “abnormally high” between Friday and Sunday, hovering at around 18ºC in most of Spain but climbing as high as 24ºC in parts of Andalucía and Extremadura.
As Saturday drifts towards a sultry evening the temperatures will begin to dip slightly in the extreme southwest of the country, spreading to the rest of Spain early on the morning of Sunday May 22, when an Atlantic low will approach and drag the mass of warm air towards the east.
This could result in some showers and storms in the northwest of Spain but means temperatures will remain above average in the east and the Balearic Islands, with some of the most extreme heat forecast for eastern Andalucía in the middle of the day, reaching a sweltering 38ºC.
A general drop in temperatures will be felt from Monday, but Aemet doesn’t see this reprieve lasting for too long, since this “May is one of the warmest in recent years in our country.”
Maximum temperatures forecast on Friday, Saturday and Sunday
- Alicante: Fri: 31ºC; Sat: 29ºC; Sun: 28ºC
- Almeria: Fri: 36ºC; Sat: 35ºC; Sun: 29ºC
- Malaga: Fri: 29ºC; Sat: 30ºC; Sun: 30ºC
- Murcia: Fri: 31ºC; Sat: 32ºC; Sun: 37ºC
- Sevilla: Fri: 40ºC; Sat: 40ºC; Sun: 33ºC
Image: Aemet
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