Spain is set for a sharp change in weather after a stretch of intense September heat. Meteorologist Jorge Rey says temperatures will drop next week, especially in the north, as clouds and rain move in, with stronger winds. Seville is still expected to reach 43°C before the shift arrives.
For now, the heatwave continues. Much of the country remains under weather alerts as temperatures stay dangerously high. Rey says the change will be clear, but it does not mean cold weather is coming. Instead, people can expect a break from the extreme heat, with milder temperatures and higher humidity as showers and clouds appear. Spain's national meteorological agency, AEMET, has confirmed the early September heatwave, with many inland areas well above normal and tropical nights above 20°C likely to last through the weekend, information from Reuters. In early September, AEMET activated weather warnings in several regions, including Andalusia, for temperatures up to 40°C, with thunderstorms and hail forecast alongside strong winds.
The north will feel the biggest impact, with the strongest rain and winds expected there. Rey says the most noticeable change will likely come on Wednesday, September 9, when the new pattern sets in. It is not expected to be a one-day event. As mid-September approaches, forecasts suggest Atlantic storms could pass near Spain, bringing more unsettled weather and several drops in temperature. Official outlooks show that most of Spain will stay warmer than usual for the first half of September, but the north faces a higher risk of rain, while the east and interior could see local storms. AEMET stresses that this does not mean a lasting cold spell, but a back-and-forth between heat and unsettled weather.
Even with these changes, summer is not over. Rey warns that September will still bring warm days alongside cooler spells, with unsettled skies in between. This pattern of alternating heat and relief is likely to continue, with a chance of further cooling toward the end of the month as storm systems get closer to the Iberian Peninsula. Private weather reports for September 1 to 2 indicate that the most extreme heat was in southern and central Spain, with Córdoba, Seville and Badajoz reaching 41°C to 44°C, while the Mediterranean coast stayed milder.
In the future, the changing weather could signal a broader shift in the season. Rey says trends in late September may set the stage for October, with more unsettled conditions and a gradual move away from the persistent heat that started the month. This follows recent warnings about severe storms in the north, as reported earlier.
Reuters linked the extreme heat in Spain last month to 2,149 deaths, a reminder of the serious public health impact of prolonged high temperatures and the stakes of new heat episodes and official health warnings.
September weather in Spain is famously unpredictable, often swinging between late-summer heat and the first signs of autumn. The current forecast means residents, especially in the north, should be ready for quick changes. The coming drop in temperatures will bring relief from the heat, while also marking the start of a more unsettled period. Anyone with travel plans should keep an eye on the forecast, as should people working or holding events outdoors, as the risk of sudden storms and cooler weather rises. Summer is not over, but the steady pattern of the season is breaking, and people will need to adapt in the weeks ahead.
