Published on
23/06/2026 - 9:08 GMT+2
In the early hours of Tuesday, traditionally marked for years by bonfires in squares and on beaches, much of the country will welcome the night without flames this year. The reason lies in the thermometers: Spain is facing on Tuesday the toughest day of the summer’s first heatwave, with five provinces on red alert and highs reaching 40°C.
The epicentre of the heat is where it would be least expected, in the north of the country. The State Meteorological Agency (source in Spanish) (AEMET) has issued a red warning for inland areas of the Basque Country and Cantabria. In the south, Andalusia is also raising warnings to red level today because of the temperatures, while orange alerts cover around ten regions: the capital, for instance, will hover around 40°C, Andalusia and Extremadura will exceed 42°C and the Ebro corridor will turn into an oven, with temperatures surpassing 41°C from midday. The nights, sweltering too, will offer no respite: it is estimated that night-time temperatures will not drop below 25°C in much of the country.
Extreme risk of wildfires
