spain hot
A woman holds an umbrella to shelter from the sun during a hot sunny day in Madrid, Spain, on July 18, 2022. Spain registered its hottest spring on record this year, and its second driest ever, the state meteorological agency said Wednesday, June 7, 2023. Image Credit: AP

Spain: Summer heat is set to return to Spain this week, while the threat of wildfires is spreading across the Mediterranean from the French Riviera to the Greek islands.

Temperatures are set to breach 42C (107.6C) in Malaga on Wednesday, prompting a red heat alert for the province, according to the Spanish weather service Aemet. The heat will also sweep parts of Aragon, Murcia and Valencia, before moving to southern France and parts of Italy in the coming days.

Heat waves have seared the Northern Hemisphere this summer, as fossil fuels warm the planet, triggering wildfires, flooding and violent storms. That put the world on track for its hottest ever month in July, after a record June. The extreme weather is straining energy and transport systems, while threatening the health and livelihoods of millions.

The risk of wildfires continues across the Mediterranean, including on the Italian islands of Sardinia and Sicily, and an area around Marseille in the south of France, according to the European Forest Fire Information System. Most of Spain is also under threat as high temperatures combine with a drier than normal outlook.

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There were more than 60 wildfires in Greece over the past 24 hours, but those have been contained. That came after 1,470 wildfires in July, fanned by strong winds and extreme heat. So far this year, 55,000 hectares have been burnt in Greece, which is already 30% higher than the annual average.

"The climate crisis is here, unfortunately we face it every day, all the countries of the Mediterranean, with extreme weather conditions," Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Vasilis Kikilias said in interview with Skai TV.

Cooler weather is persisting over northern Europe, with temperatures in Germany, France and Nordic countries below seasonal averages.

London is forecast to reach a high of 19C over the weekend, 5C below the norm, according to forecaster Maxar Technologies Inc. Paris will be 6.5C below the seasonal average on Saturday. That trend is set to continue for large parts of Europe for the coming 10 days.