After weeks of summer-like weather, Spain is heading for cooler days, though southern areas could still reach 38ºC this Friday. The State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) says temperatures remain well above normal for late September, and its forecast shows the heat isn’t over yet in many regions.
In Córdoba and Badajoz, temperatures could still approach 40ºC on Friday, Roberto Brasero reported on ‘Antena 3’. But a gradual cooling is expected to begin over the weekend. The change will be gradual: it will start in the far north and move south. AEMET has kept yellow heat alerts in place across Andalusia and Extremadura, as well as Galicia and the Canary Islands, as the late-season heatwave continues.
Most of Spain will stay sunny for now, with tropical nights and high daytime temperatures continuing. AEMET expects nighttime lows in some northern cities to remain around 25°C, so tropical nights will persist even as cooling begins. Nights in Oviedo and Bilbao will stay near 25ºC. Valencia and Albacete, along with Logroño and Córdoba, will see highs between 32ºC and 39ºC. By Saturday, temperatures in the south and east will fall by 2ºC to 4ºC. A weak front will bring light rain to the Cantabrian coast on Sunday. Several independent weather reports point to the biggest cooling from Sunday into Monday. The north and northwest will feel it first as a front brings the first autumn rains.
AEMET is keeping yellow heat alerts in place for Friday, but autumn’s arrival will be gradual. By Sunday, daytime highs in most of Spain are expected to drop by 2ºC to 3ºC, with stronger cooling from Monday. Jorge Rey, using the traditional Cabañuelas method, agrees with this forecast and says autumn is finally at the door. Media and weather bulletins also point to a bigger temperature drop in the first week of October. Some places could see highs below 30ºC for the first time in weeks.
The second week of October could bring a sharper temperature drop and the first real rains of the season. Warm Pacific waters and the El Niño effect have kept the east and north drier than usual, with autumn storms absent so far. More humidity is expected from the west and south, which could mean a wetter winter. Jorge Rey predicts that the heat will finally fade between October 5 and 9, as storms move in from the west and quickly reach the Mediterranean. The Levante region will see unsettled weather at the start of the Puente del Pilar, while the north will get cooler air and light rain.
The change will not be permanent: short bursts of summer-like warmth could still return later in autumn, though they are expected to be rare. October looks set to be cooler and wetter than September, following a month with only three days of brief rain. This year’s weather has been unpredictable, and December could bring a much wetter winter if current trends continue.
Jorge Rey’s forecast points to a winter with frequent rain. He links this to the risk of strong DANAS, isolated high-altitude depressions, after the intense summer heat. AEMET has not yet released its official winter forecast. Rey’s early analysis suggests December to February could be especially wet. The timing of spring’s arrival is still unclear.
For those following Spain’s changing weather, this shift echoes the recent change that brought rain and cooler air to the north. Now, the rest of Spain is set to follow as the last burst of summer heat fades and autumn moves in.
