Spain grapples third heatwave

A SPATE of heatwaves stretching across southern Europe has pushed temperatures in parts of Spain to uncomfortable levels in recent weeks.

Meteorologists warned it could be the ‘most extreme of the summer’ and triggered widespread weather alerts.

In the third heatwave in a matter of weeks, much of the southern part of the country was on orange alert and red alerts over the weekend, with temperatures expected to surge above 40 Celsius.

The meteorological agency also issued maximum red alerts for parts of Andalucia in the south, the

Madrid region in the centre, and the Valencian community.

The heatwaves recorded in Spain this summer have also worsened a prolonged drought, lowering reservoir levels as water evaporation and consumption increase, prompting authorities in Catalonia to impose restrictions.

Although many may think that summer temperatures have always been high in Spain, the prolonged heat has usually been broken by summer storms, enabling the land and air temperatures to cool down to a more comfortable level.

Advice during heatwaves is to keep out of the sun and stay in the cool. Traditionally, the Spanish close all of their shutters, keeping their homes in darkness during the daytime in order to keep the heat out of their homes.

One local restaurant located in the seaside town of Santiago de la Ribera, Sabor Urbano.

“We were a bit worried when we heard about the third heatwave but honestly, our restaurant has been buzzing just as much. We’ve got the air con cranked up and the fans on and we’re in a shady corner of the town so if anything our cool corner is possibly even more popular,” commented the chef Alejandro Sanchez Pastor.

80% of Spaniards live in urban areas