The Agencia Estatal de Meteorología is warning of very high to extreme wildfire risk across large parts of Spain for Wednesday, 12 August 2026. According to spokesperson Rubén del Campo temperatures of more than 35 degrees will be reached in many places. The unusually dry air mass could encourage fires to spread, making them difficult to tackle in such conditions. Aemet also forecasts generally little cloud over much of the Iberian Peninsula.
The day coincides with a total solar eclipse, which will be visible in its totality along a corridor across northern Spain. Aemet expects the eclipse to peak at around 20:30 local time, when the Moon will completely cover the Sun within the area in question. No such event has occurred on the Iberian Peninsula for more than a century. The Instituto Geográfico Nacional has published the eclipse path and visibility zones for Spain.
To support observation of the celestial event, Aemet announced a special forecast bulletin with a detailed assessment of low, medium and high cloud. Clear to slightly cloudy conditions are expected overall, although cloud patches may occur in some areas – especially in the far north, such as Galicia, Asturias and Cantabria. Thin layers of cloud near the horizon could impair visibility late in the day, when the Sun is already low.
Aemet attributes the very high to extreme wildfire risk to the combination of intense heat and dry conditions. According to the service, even small sources of ignition can quickly cause fires to flare up. The agency points to the current danger and urges heightened caution, particularly in the afternoon and evening, when outings and observation activities are likely to increase. The autonomous communities issue specific rules on fire bans and other precautions.
Aemet will continue to update its assessment throughout the day. As well as wildfire risk indices, this will include a more detailed assessment of cloud cover along the eclipse path. Observation times, visibility maps and guidance on safe viewing are available on the Instituto Geográfico Nacional's information pages.
Editor: Andreas M. Brucker (Article created with AI assistance).