Spain and Portugal have been groaning under a new heat wave since the middle of last week. Temperatures of 43 degrees were measured in both countries at the weekend, for example on Sunday in the small Portuguese town of Portel. The heat will continue to increase this week.
The current weather pattern is reminiscent of that in June, when Spain experienced the worst June heat wave since 1950. Another low has formed off the coast of Portugal, scooping hot desert air north from the Sahara on its front. The air continues to heat up in the Iberian Peninsula under the strong sunshine.
Records within reach
44.3 degrees in Andujar in Andalusia was the peak of the heat wave in June. This week threatens to get even hotter. Temperatures of around 46 degrees are possible in Spain and Portugal from Thursday. This shattered the national heat records. The Portuguese extreme temperature is 47.3 degrees and was measured on August 1, 2003 in Amareleja. The highest temperature in Spain so far is 47.4 degrees in Montoro and was only recorded last year on August 15th.
Even the nights offer little relaxation on the Iberian Peninsula, in many places tropical nights (minimum over 20 degrees) are imminent, and in some areas the temperatures do not drop below 25 degrees. An extreme burden for humans and animals.
Appropriate heat warnings from the authorities apply to many districts in Portugal and also to most regions in Spain. The coasts are an exception to this for the time being, because the sea wind at the sea ensures reasonably bearable temperatures. The temperature in the Algarve and in the Malaga area only rises slightly above 30 degrees.
Forest fires due to extreme drought
There is no rain in sight, and the heat wave will continue on the Iberian Peninsula next week. This increases the risk of forest fires because the sun continues to dry out the soil. Even a carelessly discarded cigarette can have devastating consequences. A scientific study recently found that the Iberian Peninsula is experiencing its worst drought in 1,200 years.
Extremwetter
Individual extreme events cannot be directly traced back to a specific cause, but according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change it is clear that extreme weather events such as floods, storms and heat are becoming more frequent and more intense as a result of the climate crisis. This means: Precipitation and storms are getting heavier, heat waves are getting hotter and droughts are getting drier.
The Portuguese fire brigade was able to contain two of the largest forest and bush fires that have raged in central Portugal for several days on Monday. But more than 30 fires are still active across the country, civil defense announced on Monday. According to various estimates, between 2,000 and 3,000 hectares of forest have been destroyed in the past few days.
June’s heatwave burned 30,000 hectares of land in the Sierra de la Culebra mountain range in north-west Spain, in the largest fire in Castilla y Leon’s history. Spain and Portugal have repeatedly been hit by devastating forest fires in recent years. In 2017, forest fires in Portugal near Coimbra killed over 60 people, many burned to death in their vehicles trying to escape.
Heat spreads
In the second half of the week, the heat will also spread to France and Italy, where 40 degrees can be expected once more. Next week the extremely hot air will also flow to Central Europe, then values over 35 degrees can also be expected in Switzerland, Germany and Austria. However, it is not yet possible to say whether the 40-degree mark will also be broken in Central Europe.
The relatively cool weather phase in which Austria has been stuck for five days is coming to an end. In the next few days it will be sunnier and warmer, from Wednesday summer will return everywhere. The hottest day of this week will be Thursday with up to 34 or 35 degrees, the next day a few rain showers and thunderstorms will put a damper on things.
Acute and long-term health consequences
Last year, 2,566 people in Austria received medical treatment for acute consequences of heat or intense sunlight. This was announced by the Austrian Health Insurance Fund (ÖGK) on Monday. Nine out of ten of these patients had sunstroke, i.e. meningitis caused by prolonged, intensive exposure to the sun. The most common symptoms are a severe headache, fever, vomiting and neck stiffness.
There are more and more hot days in Austria. In the summer of 2021, an average of 18 days with over 30 degrees Celsius were measured nationwide. In Vienna, Graz and Eisenstadt there were even 24. “Heat stress and exhaustion are often underestimated,” said ÖGK General Director Bernhard Wurzer. Medical conditions such as sunstroke, sunburn and allergies might have long-term effects.