Spain will stay mostly settled on Wednesday, but heat will build in several regions. Galicia and the Canary Islands are under yellow alerts as temperatures move toward 37 degrees.
Temperatures will reach 37 degrees in parts of the Canary Islands and pass 34 degrees in several Galician provinces on Wednesday, September 23. Spain's State Meteorological Agency, AEMET, has issued yellow heat alerts for A Coruña, Ourense and Pontevedra. The highest forecast temperature on the mainland is 39 degrees in Badajoz.
The heat will not affect the whole country in the same way. The highest readings are expected in southwest Galicia, the low-lying parts of the southwestern quadrant and Las Palmas. High-altitude calima is also expected in the Canary Islands. A shower cannot be ruled out around Teide, even though the wider outlook is settled.
The heat arrives as astronomical autumn begins on September 23, but forecasters expect above-normal, summer-like temperatures to persist across much of Spain, including Galicia, the Canary Islands and the southwest.
Gran Canaria, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura are also under yellow alerts. Forecast highs range from 35 to 37 degrees, putting the islands among the hottest parts of Spain on Wednesday. On Gran Canaria, the warning covers the eastern, southern and western areas. It does not apply to the whole island.
Most of the country will stay calm and bright.
The Canary Islands’ alert is not limited to daytime heat. AEMET’s forecast also points to very warm nights, while Lanzarote and Fuerteventura may see isolated short-lived showers with thunderstorms despite the prevailing hot conditions.
Skies will be clear across much of Spain. Coastal cloud and some mist may develop along the northernmost shores. Cloudy spells are also possible over the southeastern Mediterranean, Alborán and the Strait of Gibraltar. The calmer forecast is a sharp change from the unstable Mediterranean conditions described in earlier weather coverage.
Maximum temperatures will drop along parts of the western Cantabrian coast and in the Valencian Community. They will rise across the southern half of the country, the upper Ebro and the western Pyrenees. Seville and Córdoba are expected to reach 37 degrees. Badajoz will be hotter, at 39 degrees. AEMET's wider outlook places Galicia in a warm spell that also covers Extremadura and Andalusia. The heat is not limited to one region.
Nights will feel very different depending on the location. Tenerife is forecast to stay at 24 degrees, while several places in Cádiz will not fall below 22. Minimum temperatures are expected to reach 20 degrees in Ceuta, Melilla, Tarragona and Barcelona. Navarra and southern País Vasco will have the lowest readings, at 11 degrees. Salamanca will fall to 12, and Zamora to 13. The figures show how warm nights will remain in the Canaries and in parts of mainland Spain.
Wind will add another regional difference. A moderate easterly flow is expected over Alborán, with strong spells in the Strait. The Canary Islands will have moderate north-easterly winds. Galicia, the Ampurdán and the Balearic Islands will also see moderate north-easterlies. A northerly wind will reach the Cantabrian coast. Inland winds will be lighter, with moderate spells in other coastal areas and the Ebro.
The forecast calls for extra care in the alert zones and the hottest lowland areas. Northern and Mediterranean coastal locations may see lower daytime temperatures. Clear skies, high maximums and calima will make Wednesday a day of strong regional contrasts, rather than a single heat event across Spain.
Spain will remain broadly stable, but the yellow alerts show where the heat will be hardest to manage. Southwest Galicia, Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura carry the clearest warnings. Badajoz has the country's highest listed maximum at 39 degrees. The weather will be settled, but conditions will vary sharply between regions.
