Temperature in parts of southern Spain is forecast to exceed 42C on Saturday is hot of “extreme intensity” brings dusty skies, heightened risk of forest fires and storms more commonly seen in mid-summer than mid-May.
Spanish government activated his national plan for excess temperatures on On Thursday evening, after state meteorological agency Aemet warned that Spain facing “one of the hottest May in this country in last years”.
Aemet said mass of hot, dry air blowing in from Africa, carrying with These are dust from the Sahara and “exceptionally high” daytime temperatures that are 10-15°C above the seasonal average.
” last meteorological updates models confirm extraordinary intensity of this heat,” said Rubén del Campo, spokesman for Aemet.
“For Spain as a whole, this may be the most intense heat wave in May. of in past 20 years in terms of both maximum and minimum temperatures. Friday and Saturday will be the hottest days in general terms and although it will be important drop in temperature on Sunday through the western third of peninsula, this could be the hottest day ever in parts of Oriental side of Spain and in Balearic Islands”.
The weatherman said that the temperature in Guadalquivir Andalusia valley could pass 40C on Friday and exceeds 42C next day. Even heat subsides elsewhere, he added maybe a temperature of 40C or higher in in north-eastern Ebro valley – something unheard of of in that area in May”.
Spain has fixed its highest ever temperature last August when mercury in Andalusian city of Montoro reached 47.4°C.
Del Campo recalled people of “extreme risk” of Forest fires in south, central and north- Eastern regions and also told them to expect another orange kalima cloud of dust.
“This is going to be an extreme episode, and risk what comes with high temperatures will be important in in many areas,” he said.
“One more thing to know of dust in in the air which could lead to kalimas in south and east of peninsula, with cloudy sky and reduced visibility. This concentration of dust in in air may increase on Friday and Saturday in the peninsula and the Balearic Islands air comes in from north Africa brings dust from the Sahara. What will happen again cause a decline in air qualitative.”
Spanish government advised people moisturize and wear light clothes, adding that close your eyes should keep on children, pregnant women, and the elderly and chronically ill people.
Dust cloud in the Sahara also due to impact over Great Britain with its hottest day ever of in year already on Tuesday when the temperature in the southeast peaked at 27.5C.
Spring heat records have also was broken in France as the country enters its 38th consecutive day of temperatures above normal with parts of south already above 33°C and some models temperature prediction will be rise locally up to 37C or even 39C towards the end of week, about 17 degrees hotter than the average for the season.
Southern cities of Albi, Toulouse and Montelimar equaled or surpassed their previous records. for month of May, registration 33.7C, 33.4C and 33.8C respectively. on Wednesday while even The Hague in north-Western Normandy reached 27C, interrupting record for May dating back until 1922.
In Paris, the night temperature from Wednesday to Thursday did not fall below 20 degrees Celsius. first the time that happened so early in in year in in century and half since recording in the capital began. At 3 am the mercury column was still close to 22 degrees Celsius.
Heat is expected to continue in in the south of France until at least Sunday and possibly until Monday, Météo France reports, adding: “This is an exceptional period. of high temperatures in terms of how early in in year it is happened, how long is it set to last how lot of country it covers.
The state weather forecaster said it is now “highly likely” that it will be the hottest month of May. on record, with average temperatures are predicted to be at least 3 degrees above normal throughout the month, with significant more. In 2011 the hottest May on record so far the average temperature has been only 1.8C higher than the norm.
François Jobard, weather forecaster for Météo France, said France had not had a heat wave in May “since national numbers began to pile up in 1947. The hottest day in May has always been good below 25.3C. In fact, this temperature has never been reached before. in France until 20 June.
Water use It has already were limited in sixteen of France departments (regions), with 22 – mostly in southeast and southwest – thought to be “very likely” to suffer severe drought by the end of summer. Alarming levels of ozone have been also recorded in Rhone valley this week, authorities said.
Météo France reported that such episodes of extreme heat may become longer and more serious, start before and repeat more often like global Heating progresses – although it added that there was no indication year that an unusually hot spring foreshadowed record- Hot Summer.
Earlier this week, the UK Met Office said the chances of in record- overcoming the recent heat wave that raised the temperature in parts of India and Pakistan were up to 51C made over 100 times more probably because of climate crisis.
