Spain is set to experience an unusual change in weather this week. After temperatures of up to 40°C, heavy thunderstorms and torrential rain are expected to return from Wednesday onwards. The weather could affect large parts of the country, particularly on Thursday. At the same time, temperatures will drop significantly, with some regions seeing temperatures as much as 10°C below the seasonal average.
Spain Expat Press Editorial Team
by Marlon Gallego Bosbach
Summer in Spain is currently showing its unpredictable side. While temperatures well above 35°C are still expected in many parts of the country on Tuesday, another significant change in the weather is already on the way. Once again, the culprit is a DANA – an isolated area of cold air at high altitude – which is moving back towards the Iberian Peninsula.
The weather phenomenon had already caused severe storms over the past weekend. Regions including León and Castellón were among those worst affected. Two people lost their lives as a result of the torrential rainfall, while flash floods and flooding caused significant damage.
The DANA could once again bring highly unsettled weather conditions over the coming days.
One more day of extreme heat on Tuesday
Before the thunderstorms arrive, much of Spain is set to experience another particularly hot day on Tuesday. Temperatures of more than 35°C are expected across large parts of the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands. In some regions, temperatures could even reach the 40°C mark.
The hottest conditions are expected in the Guadalquivir Valley and southern Galicia. Temperatures close to 40°C are also possible in other inland areas. Spain’s national weather service, AEMET, has therefore issued orange heat warnings for several provinces, including Cáceres, Toledo, Jaén, Cuenca, Huesca, Lleida and Tarragona.
Conditions are expected to be somewhat less extreme in mountainous areas and along parts of the Cantabrian coast. However, the weather will not be completely settled on Tuesday either. Showers may develop, particularly in the Pyrenees and the Iberian System.
The weather takes a turn from Wednesday
On Wednesday, the weather situation will change significantly. The DANA is once again approaching the Iberian Peninsula while simultaneously being reinforced by another upper-level trough moving in from the Atlantic. This will lead to a marked increase in atmospheric instability, with showers and, in some areas, heavy thunderstorms expected across several regions.
The areas most likely to be affected include inland Galicia, the Cantabrian coast, as well as parts of eastern Andalusia and the Murcia region. Conditions could also deteriorate throughout the day across southern and eastern Castilla-La Mancha, the Iberian System and the Pyrenees. Particularly during the afternoon, severe thunderstorms are possible, bringing not only heavy rainfall but also hail and very strong wind gusts.
There is also a possibility that rain will be mixed with Saharan dust in some areas. This can lead to so-called mud rain, in which the raindrops take on a yellowish to reddish-brown colour and leave clearly visible stains on cars, roads and other surfaces once they dry.
Thursday could mark the peak of the severe weather
Thursday is likely to be the most significant day. According to current forecasts, the DANA will move across the Iberian Peninsula, making weather conditions even more unsettled across large parts of Spain. The north of the country, in particular, could be affected by heavy rainfall.
Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria and northern Castilla y León are expected to be among the areas most affected, with locally heavy rainfall and thunderstorms possible. Showers and thunderstorms may also develop across central, southern and eastern Spain, although current forecasts suggest they will generally be less intense than in the north. The Balearic Islands are not entirely excluded from the unsettled weather either.
This means that, remarkably for mid-August, Spain is set to experience weather more reminiscent of an unsettled transition between summer and autumn.
Unsettled weather persists in northern Spain on Friday
The unsettled weather will continue into Friday. The focus of the rainfall will once again shift towards northern Spain, with Cantabria and the Basque Country particularly affected during the morning. As the afternoon progresses, heavier rain and thunderstorms could move towards the Pyrenees, the Iberian System and Catalonia.
This points to a week of unsettled weather, with the areas most affected by severe storms shifting from one region to another. Some degree of instability cannot currently be ruled out over the weekend either.
A sharp drop in temperatures follows the heat
Alongside the thunderstorms, the DANA will bring another notable change: a significant drop in temperatures. However, the shift will not occur everywhere at the same time.
Wednesday will initially remain hot, with temperatures in Murcia still reaching up to 38°C, while many other parts of Spain could see temperatures of around 35°C or higher. On Thursday, however, cooler conditions will spread across much larger parts of the country.
In the second half of the week, temperatures in many regions could fall between 5°C and 10°C below the seasonal average. Nights will also become noticeably cooler.
For many people, the change in weather is therefore likely to feel particularly abrupt: within just a few days, a day of extreme summer heat will give way to thunderstorms, heavy rain and temperatures that could feel unusually low for late August.
From 40°C heat to thunderstorms and cooler nights
The weather this week is set to change dramatically within just a few days. While much of Spain will experience another bout of extreme heat on Tuesday, with temperatures reaching up to 40°C in some areas, the DANA will already be approaching on Wednesday, bringing increasingly severe thunderstorms and heavy rainfall.
On Thursday, the unsettled weather is expected to reach its peak, with severe thunderstorms possible particularly in northern Spain, as well as across other parts of the Iberian Peninsula. The weather will remain changeable in many areas on Friday and throughout the weekend, while temperatures settle at a significantly lower level.
Spain is therefore facing a marked change in weather within a very short period: extreme summer heat will give way to severe storms, followed by temperatures that are unusually cool for this time of year.
Why the DANA can be so problematic for Spain
A DANA forms when an area of significantly colder air high in the atmosphere becomes detached from the normal weather pattern. When this cold air at altitude meets warm, moist air near the surface, the atmosphere can become highly unstable. This combination can lead to the development of powerful thunderstorms.
The situation becomes particularly problematic when thunderstorms repeatedly form over the same area or move only slowly. In such cases, large amounts of rain can accumulate within a short period of time. Last weekend already demonstrated the potential consequences of such weather conditions, with the resulting rainfall causing significant damage in areas including León and Castellón.
Not a typical August in Spain
Normally, mid-August in Spain would be associated with sunshine, high temperatures and stable high-pressure conditions. Instead, the country is currently experiencing an unusually dynamic period of weather.
The DANA has shifted position several times in recent days and will continue to influence weather conditions across Spain this week. The fact that extreme heat, severe thunderstorms and then significantly cooler temperatures are expected to alternate within just a few days makes the current weather situation particularly remarkable.
For residents and holidaymakers, there is one key takeaway: the weather situation should be monitored closely over the coming days. While many parts of Spain could still enjoy beach weather with temperatures close to 40°C on Tuesday, severe thunderstorms may already develop on Wednesday. By Thursday, the change in weather is expected to reach large parts of Spain.
Spain’s summer is therefore taking an unusual break this week – at least temporarily.
