The state meteorological agency AEMET and Spain’s civil protection authority Protección Civil are warning of a heatwave expected to affect large parts of Spain from Sunday, 13 September 2026. According to Agencia Estatal de Meteorología a very warm, dry air mass from the northern Sahara is moving towards the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands. Daytime highs are expected to be well above the seasonal average, with warm nights. The warnings were issued on 11 September and explicitly refer to the event starting on the Sunday named.
AEMET expects calima, or increased concentrations of dust in the air, which may reduce visibility and affect air quality. The southern and central inland areas, major river valleys and the Balearic Islands are likely to be particularly affected. Specific local alert levels – such as yellow or orange – are set by regional services according to forecasts and readings, and are updated continuously.
Protección Civil recommends that authorities and health services take precautions to protect particularly vulnerable people. These include informing older people and those with chronic illnesses, adjusting work and outdoor activities, ensuring a reliable supply of drinking water and making cooled indoor spaces available. Emergency and rescue services are being urged to remain on heightened alert. Whether formal alert levels are activated under regional emergency plans will depend on further developments in the models and the actual temperature patterns over the coming days.
The context is an exceptionally warm summer in 2026 in Spain, which AEMET assessed as having a high number of days with heat conditions. Warm air from the Sahara is a well-known meteorological phenomenon; however, the intensity and geographical extent of such episodes have increased in recent years. Higher temperatures increase health and infrastructure risks, for example for people with pre-existing conditions, the energy sector and transport.
It is not yet clear whether the heatwave will set new records. Such claims are forecasts and can only be confirmed using short-range model runs and recorded high temperatures. What is clear is that AEMET and Protección Civil are issuing early warnings and recommending preventive measures in view of the expected conditions. Members of the public should follow local authority guidance, minimise physical exertion outdoors, drink plenty of fluids and, if necessary, seek help at air-conditioned public facilities.
The situation will continue to be monitored over the coming days; the alert status may be adjusted as new data from models and regional monitoring networks become available.
Editor: Andreas M. Brucker (Article created with AI assistance).