Over 90 municipalities in the Valencian Community recorded nighttime temperatures above 35°C. Dénia reached 39°C, setting a new local record, as meteorological networks reported historic extremes across the region.
Nighttime temperatures in the Valencian Community climbed to historic levels, with more than 90 municipalities recording readings above 35°C. Dénia, in Alicante province, registered 39°C overnight, one of the region’s highest nocturnal readings on record. The Associació Valenciana de Meteorologia (AVAMET) said the figures were recorded at midnight, during an event it described as unprecedented in the area’s meteorological history.
Several towns, including Gandia, Oliva, Cullera, Pego, Pedreguer, Favara, Corbera, Orba and Sagra, as well as València, Quart de Poblet, Picanya, Tavernes de la Valldigna, Parcent, Redován, Benirredrà and La Vilavella, recorded nighttime temperatures above 37°C. The westerly wind, known locally as “ponentà,” strengthened overnight, particularly in the Plana Baixa area. In Nules, the temperature peaked at 37.3°C at 01:16, setting a new local record for 2026. La Vilavella reached 38°C, Betxí and La Vall d'Uixò recorded 37°C, and southern Onda registered 36°C.
AVAMET reported that 77% of its 677 monitoring stations did not fall below 25°C overnight, while temperatures stayed at or above 30°C in 130 locations. The Agencia Estatal de Meteorología (AEMET) said a late-evening shift to westerly winds along the Valencia coast, northern Alicante and southern Castellón brought a rapid temperature rise and pushed humidity below 30%. AVAMET board member and meteorologist Rafael Armengot has described the association’s broader civic network as having around 900 stations, with readings updated every five minutes. It is an extensive local monitoring system alongside AEMET’s official observation network.
By 8 a.m. on Thursday, updated readings put Xàtiva at 33°C; València and Oliva at 31°C; Miramar at 30.5°C; Castelló de la Plana at 29.6°C; Alicante at 28.6°C; and Xàbia and Llíria at 28°C. The previous day, València had reached 42.8°C, the fourth-highest value since AEMET began observations in 1869. AEMET’s station service publishes hourly observations and daily extremes. Its València Airport station in Manises is identified as climatological station 8414A and sits at an altitude of 56 metres.
This extreme episode follows a pattern of increasingly severe heat events in the region. Earlier, Valencia experienced its hottest night on record, with minimum temperatures not dropping below 30.9°C, adding to the series of record-breaking heatwaves affecting residents and local infrastructure.
The wider regional climate has also been exceptionally warm. Las Provincias reported that Mediterranean waters off the Valencian coast reached 29.8°C on 17 August 2026, surpassing the previously reported 29.3°C recorded on 11 August 2022. Very warm coastal waters can limit nighttime cooling, but that factor alone does not establish the cause of any individual station reading. The same report called September 2026 the warmest in the Valencian Community’s records, with a mean of 23.2°C, 2.5°C above the cited reference average of 20.7°C.
Persistent high temperatures, especially overnight, can affect public health and energy consumption, while disrupting daily life. The Valencian Community is particularly vulnerable to these extremes, with its dense urban areas and coastal towns. Local authorities and meteorological agencies continue to monitor conditions closely and urge residents to take precautions during periods of intense heat. The frequency and intensity of these events add to the challenges climate change poses in Mediterranean regions, where heatwaves are becoming more common and severe.
