A heat dome has sent temperatures soaring across Spain and parts of Europe, turning May into a preview of August. A high-pressure system stretching from North Africa to the British Isles is acting like a lid, trapping hot air and pushing temperatures in some areas up to 15°C above the seasonal norm.
Spain’s meteorological agency AEMET reports that the temperature at Santander airport topped 30°C six times before June-compared to just two days on record in any prior May. At Badajoz Airport, temperatures above 38°C were recorded in May for the first time in 71 years of data.
The worst-affected provinces include Badajoz, Seville, Córdoba, Jaén, Toledo, and Zaragoza. The Ebro valley is again living up to its reputation as one of the peninsula's great furnaces. In the north, Bilbao is nearing its highest May temperature on record, while inland Cantabria, Asturias, and Galicia are also seeing extreme heat.
Forecasts call for slight cooling in the far northwest but intensification further east. By Friday, temperatures could reach 36°C in Madrid, 38°C in Seville, and up to 39°C in Lleida and Zaragoza. Relief is not expected before the weekend.
Experts warn that ‘tropical nights,’ where the temperature does not fall below 20°C, are especially dangerous. Provinces like Cádiz, Seville, and Barcelona will see several consecutive nights above that threshold, preventing the body from recovering from daytime heat stress.
Across Europe, the heat has broken records. In the UK, the mercury hit 35.1°C at Kew Gardens-topping a record that had stood since 1944. France issued an unprecedented May orange alert, and two people died while playing sport during the heat, one in Paris and one in Lyon. Italy is also seeing record May temperatures.
Climate scientists warn that such events are now far more likely due to human-caused climate change. What used to be a brief spring warm spell may soon become the new normal.