Spain is heading into another spell of unusually high temperatures, with forecasts calling for readings 5 to 10 degrees above the October average. The heat began in spring and barely eased all summer; now it is stretching well into autumn, information from the national weather agency Aemet. This year has already set a record: 61 days have met the official criteria for a heatwave, far exceeding the previous high of 41 days in 2022. The scale of 2026's heatwaves stands out even in a decade of broken records.
After a brief break, the heat is returning across much of Spain. The coming days may not match the extremes of early September, when several records fell, but Aemet warns that many areas will still see temperatures well above normal for this time of year. In the Guadalquivir valley, highs could again top 35°C. Tropical nights, when temperatures stay above 20°C, are expected along the southern Mediterranean coast and lower Guadalquivir, as well as on the Canary and Balearic Islands. Forecasts suggest these warm nights will persist, especially in the south and Mediterranean regions.
On September 2, El Granado matched Spain's all-time September temperature record at 45.7°C, the highest reading of the year.
AEMET
Friday brings a brief pause, with no weather alerts in effect. High pressure from the west is keeping skies mostly clear over the Peninsula and Balearic Islands. A weak front will bring some clouds to northern Galicia and the Cantabrian area, but they should clear quickly. In the Canary Islands, the usual pattern holds: clouds and fading light rain in the north of the mountainous islands, while skies remain clearer elsewhere. Maximum temperatures will fall in the Canaries but rise across the Peninsula and Balearics, except along the Cantabrian coast and across much of the southern third, where little change is expected. Minimum temperatures will climb in the northern half, apart from the Ebro and eastern Cantabrian regions.
This stretch of summer-like weather is no one-off. Longer, hotter summers have become more common over the decades, with each year pushing the limits further. Spain’s climate records have been rewritten again and again. As recent reports note, even short spells of cooler weather are now rare. Aemet says the summer of 2026 was Spain’s hottest on record, with an average temperature of 24.5°C from June through August, 0.3°C higher than the previous record in 2025 and 2.4°C above the 1991-2020 average.
The effects are immediate for residents and businesses. Prolonged heat strains energy systems and disrupts farming cycles; it also raises the risk of drought and wildfires. The return of tropical nights means less relief for vulnerable people, especially in cities where heat lingers after dark. Aemet’s forecasts offer some warning, while the effects of Spain’s shifting climate are evident in fading seasonal boundaries. Infrastructure and businesses will need to adapt, as will daily life.
Reuters reported that official data show extreme heat in 2026 was a persistent seasonal trend rather than an isolated episode. Four separate heatwaves affected mainland Spain and the Balearic Islands, with extremely high temperatures recorded on roughly two out of every three days during the summer.
