Barcelona has set a new September heat record with 35.5°C. The city faces an intense heatwave, with authorities on high alert for wildfires and health risks. Several Catalan regions have also surpassed 40°C.
Barcelona set a new September temperature record on Saturday, reaching 35.5°C and breaking a mark that had stood since 1914. The city is now experiencing its hottest start to September in more than a century. The previous record, 34.1°C, was already surpassed the day before.
On September 2, the Fabra Observatory in Barcelona recorded 33.6°C, setting a new September maximum for the station in 113 years of data.
Other parts of Catalonia are also seeing extreme temperatures. In the Ebro region, Lleida, Camp de Tarragona, and the interior of Barcelona province, thermometers have climbed above 40°C. Alcarràs in Segrià reached 41.2°C, while Lleida and Masroig in Priorat also passed 40°C. Even at night, the heat lingers. Minimum temperatures in Barcelona have stayed at 24.5°C, according to the Observatorio Fabra. The highest temperature in Catalonia during this episode was recorded in Vinebre (Tarragona) at 41.8°C on September 4, setting an absolute September record for the region, as reported by EFE and Última Hora.
The impact is immediate. On Saturday, two residential areas in Tordera (Maresme) were evacuated because of a wildfire, though firefighters managed to stabilize the fire by midday. The ongoing heat and dry conditions have left much of the region at risk, and authorities are urging caution. Protecció Civil has called for extra care in natural areas and asked people to avoid activities that could start fires, as the wildfire risk was already high, according to La Vanguardia.
The summer of 2026 has been the hottest ever recorded in Catalonia, with the Fabra Observatory registering 76 days between June and August where the maximum temperature exceeded 30°C, surpassing all previous records.
What is clear is that temperature records in Barcelona and across Catalonia are being broken again and again. Data from the Observatorio Fabra shows this is not a normal fluctuation, but a historic anomaly. The city’s infrastructure, emergency plans, and daily routines are all being tested by this ongoing climate event. With the heatwave expected to continue, how authorities respond will be key to limiting further disruption and protecting public health. Barcelona now finds itself at the center of Spain’s struggle with extreme weather, as new records keep falling.
