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 celcius.

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