Spain under 2nd heat wave, temperatures to soar above 44 degrees

Madrid, July 12 (IANS) Temperatures in Spain will increase to more than 44 degrees Celsius as a second heat wave will continue in the country until Thursday, according to the State Meteorological Agency (AEMET).

Due to a ridge of hot air coming from the Sahara, the Iberian Peninsula is experiencing one of the hottest weeks of this year, prompting the AEMET to put several parts of the country on red alert, reports Xinhua news agency.

In the south, the provinces of Cordoba and Jaen are among the hottest, with maximum temperatures reaching 45 degrees Celsius, while in the southeastern city of Murcia, it could exceed 42 to 44 degrees.

Temperatures are expected to drop Wednesday in the north of the peninsula and parts of the Balearic Islands, while in the southern part of the country it will continue to be extremely hot, with high temperatures of over 40 degrees, according to AEMET spokesman Ruben del Campo.

The maximum peak of the second heat wave in Spain was recorded on Monday in the town of Loja in the southern province of Granada, with 44.6 degrees Celsius in the afternoon.

The first heatwave of the summer took place in the last week of June when 23 provinces were at risk (yellow) or significant risk (orange) as temperatures reached as high as 43 degrees.

At the end of March, high temperature caused a wave of fires that lasted for several days in both the east and north of Spain, foreshadowing a hotter-than-normal summer.