Anyone who spent July in Spain hardly needed official statistics to know that the heat was exceptional. Shutters remained closed through the afternoon, air conditioning worked overtime and in many places even the nights offered little relief. The figures now confirm it: July 2026 was, jointly with 2022, the hottest July recorded in mainland Spain, with an average temperature of 25.7°C. It was also exceptionally dry.
Spain Expat Press Editorial Team
According to Spain’s state meteorological agency AEMET, the average temperature across mainland Spain was 2.6°C above the long-term average. This was not simply the result of a handful of exceptionally hot days, but of persistently high temperatures throughout much of the month.
At individual weather stations, the heat was considerably more extreme. Temperatures reached 44.2°C in Murcia and 43.9°C in Granada, while unusually high readings were also recorded in parts of northern Spain.
One of the most difficult aspects of the heat was the lack of respite after sunset. When temperatures remain high throughout the night, homes have little opportunity to cool down and the human body has less time to recover from the heat of the day. Such tropical nights are becoming an increasingly familiar feature of summer, particularly in Spanish cities and along the Mediterranean coast.
Exceptionally hot – and exceptionally dry
The heat was accompanied by another problem: a striking lack of rain. Mainland Spain received an average of only around 4.5 litres of rainfall per square metre during July, approximately 26 per cent of the amount normally expected.
The combination of extreme heat and dry conditions has significant consequences. Soils and vegetation lose moisture rapidly, demand for water increases and the risk of wildfires rises considerably. Across many parts of Spain, the effects are already clearly visible in the parched summer landscape.
July’s record did not come out of nowhere. Spring 2026 was already the second warmest since records began, while June was also exceptionally hot and dry. What is becoming increasingly significant is not simply an individual record, but the frequency with which unusually warm months are now occurring.
Spain’s summer is changing
For Spain, the consequences extend well beyond weather statistics. Agriculture, water supplies, energy consumption and wildfire prevention are all directly affected by longer periods of intense heat and drought.
Tourism may also gradually adapt. If temperatures above 40°C become more frequent during July and August, some visitors — particularly families and older travellers — may increasingly choose May, June, September or October instead of the traditional peak summer months.
Spain will, of course, remain the country of long summer evenings, busy beaches and outdoor life. But the conditions in which that summer takes place are visibly changing.
July 2026 has provided another striking figure: an average temperature of 25.7°C across mainland Spain, 2.6°C above normal, accompanied by exceptionally low rainfall.
For anyone who spent the month here, however, the official confirmation is unlikely to come as much of a surprise. This was a record that could be felt, day and night.
