Spain’s first summer heat wave pushes temperatures above 40C and puts 85% of municipalities on health alert

Spain’s first summer heat wave of 2026 has pushed temperatures above 40C across much of the country and placed 85% of municipalities under some level of health alert, according to reporting based on AEMET and the Ministry of Health’s municipal risk map.

The episode began on Sunday, June 21, and is expected to last until Thursday, June 26. Meteorologists said the hottest weather would ease first in western Spain, while eastern areas and the Balearic Islands could remain hot for longer.

AEMET said temperatures were running 5C to 10C above normal in many areas, and more than 10C above normal in parts of the northern half of the country. In Andújar, Jaén, the agency reported peaks of almost 43C.

Almería also recorded a night that did not fall below 30C, underscoring how quickly the heat has taken hold across the south and east.

The heat wave expands

The current stretch is the first summer heat wave of the year in Spain, and it has broadened quickly since the first warnings were issued on June 17. By June 21, reporting said the outbreak was underway, with temperatures already climbing sharply across multiple regions.

On June 22, El País reported a national picture of widespread extreme heat: many areas were above 40C, and AEMET warnings covered all autonomous communities except the Canary Islands and Murcia, according to the reporting.

The agency’s assessment also pointed to a strong temperature anomaly, with some areas 5C to 10C above normal and the north running even hotter in places. That kind of departure from seasonal norms is part of what has made the episode notable so early in the summer.

Health risk map

The Ministry of Health’s alert system showed some kind of heat-risk warning in 85% of Spain’s municipalities. Of the country’s 8,953 municipalities, 3,298 were in high-risk areas, 1,835 in medium-risk areas and 1,820 in low-risk areas.

Taken together, the high- and medium-risk municipalities account for 5,274 localities and about 21.5 million people, roughly 45% of Spain’s population. That scale means the public-health impact is not limited to the regions with the highest thermometer readings.

The health map is based on municipal heat-risk zones, which means the danger does not track only the absolute temperature. It also reflects how conditions affect people where they live, including exposure and vulnerability.

Why it matters

The main risks are for older people and people with chronic conditions, who face greater danger from dehydration, heat exhaustion and other heat-related illness. The reporting also noted the possibility of storm activity and elevated wildfire danger as the hot-air episode continues.

The situation has already prompted local action in some places. In Córdoba, the city council activated extraordinary measures after AEMET and emergency services issued red-level warnings for high temperatures, according to local reporting.

That response shows how quickly municipalities can move from monitoring to operational measures when warnings reach the highest tiers. It also reflects the practical strain that sustained heat places on local services, outdoor work and daily routines.

What to watch next

The key question now is how long the most severe heat will last in eastern Spain and the Balearic Islands, where the episode is expected to ease later than in the west. Officials are also watching whether the Ministry of Health map begins to narrow materially as temperatures fall.

The reporting says the heat episode should last until Thursday, June 26, but the precise timing of any cooling will matter for how quickly warnings can be downgraded. Any extension of AEMET alerts or any new local emergency steps would be the main signals to watch.

For now, the combination of widespread 40C-plus temperatures, broad health alerts and early-summer wildfire risk makes this one of the most consequential weather developments in Spain this week.