The high temperatures will affect southeastern Spain, Guadalquivir valley, Ebro valley, northeastern depressions, Pyrenees valleys and inland Mallorca20:01, 19 Jul 2026Spain will battle temperatures exceeding 45C as parts of the Iberian peninsula are set to go through yet another heatwave.‌Aemet, Spain's equivalent of the Met Office, announced the heatwave will come into force on Tuesday, July 21, and will remain in place until at least Thursday, July 23. Previously, Hugo Morán, Aemet's president and Spain's secretary of state for the environment, told local media that the country has entered a chain of successive heatwaves.‌The latest heatwave will affect southeastern Spain, Guadalquivir valley, Ebro valley, northeastern depressions, Pyrenees valleys and inland Mallorca. Aemet states: "The blocking pattern, formed by a stationary cut-off low northwest of the Iberian Peninsula, combined with a mid-level high over North Africa, is causing a mass of warm, dry air laden with suspended dust to intrude over southeastern Spain and the Balearic Islands.‌"This air mass will spread across much of the country in the coming days. Combined with the sunshine typical of this time of year and widespread subsidence, temperatures are expected to rise gradually, reaching very high values next week."The agency explained that there is a "significant or even extraordinary" risk to those taking part in outdoor activities and those vulnerable, including the elderly or those with cardiovascular diseases. While Aemet couldn't state for certain when the heatwave will end due to various factors, it said that temperatures are likely to "continue at dangerous levels until next weekend".On Monday, temperatures are expected to be high in the eastern and southeastern thirds of the peninsula, as well as in the Balearic Islands. They will reach 36-38C, with some places going up to 40C.‌Up to 42C are then possible on Tuesday in low-lying areas and inland Mallorca, with temperatures of up to 39C in the other areas affected by the heatwave. The peak of the heatwave will then hit between Wednesday and Thursday, Aemet said.Content cannot be displayed without consentTemperatures will continue to rise along the Mediterranean coast on Thursday due to westerly winds, reaching up to 44C. Aemet said: "On Friday the 24th, uncertainty increases considerably.‌"Although the most likely scenario at the moment is the arrival of a cooler air mass from the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula, which would initiate a temperature drop that would become more widespread in the following days, it cannot be ruled out that this arrival could be delayed for a few more days, prolonging the heatwave."In any case, it is likely that on Friday temperatures will remain high in many areas." Nights will also remain very warm, with popular tourist areas like Malaga, Alicante and Barcelona being at medium or high health risk due to the extreme heat.People have been urged by Spain's ministry of health to drink water regularly, stay cool and avoid direct sun exposure during the middle of the day, when temperatures will peak. Those most at risk are the elderly, pregnant women, children under four years old, people with chronic illnesses and people who work outdoors.‌This will be Spain's third heatwave so far this summer. Wildfire danger levels will also continue to increase as a result of the extreme temperatures, as major blazes are already raging in Zaragoza and Guadalajara.‌Euronews reports that the two forest fires have been burning out of control for several days. The most serious of the two is the one near Orés, Zaragoza, which has been evaluated as the worst one this year, burning an area of around 15,400 hectares, with a perimetre of about 60km.The second fire, in Sierra Norte de Guadalajara in La Mierla, has been burning since the middle of this week. The blaze has already affected around 6,000 hectares, with local authorities not optimistic about its evolution.Article continues belowThis year's average temperature has beat the previous record set in 2024 by 0.4C. Between June 1 and July 15, the average temperature in Spain was 3.3C above the normal values for this time of the year.