Spain’s heatwave peaks with AEMET red alerts across multiple regions

Spain’s first major summer heatwave reached its peak on Tuesday, June 23, as Spain’s weather agency AEMET issued red alerts in parts of Cantabria, the Basque Country and Andalusia and warned of dangerous heat across much of the peninsula.

Reporting from El País and Cadena SER said alerts covered nearly the entire country, with all autonomous communities except the Canary Islands under some level of warning. Forecasters said temperatures could reach 44C in the hottest inland areas, including parts of the Guadalquivir valley, before easing more noticeably later in the week.

Peak of the heatwave

Cadena SER described June 23 as the worst point of the heatwave so far, while El País said Spain was facing the end of the episode with warnings in almost every region. The red alerts were reported in Liébana in Cantabria, the interior of Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa in the Basque Country, and parts of Córdoba and Jaén in Andalusia.

The event was described as the first major summer heatwave of 2026. It began on Sunday, June 22, and was expected to continue through Thursday, June 26, even if temperatures started to fall from Wednesday, June 24.

The pattern was not only about daytime extremes. Reporting described tropical nights across many areas, with minimum temperatures staying above 20C in numerous places and above 25C in some. That matters because it reduces the body’s chance to recover from the heat overnight.

Local emergency measures

In Córdoba, the city council activated extraordinary measures for June 23 in response to red alert conditions. Those steps included suspending outdoor activities during the hottest hours and opening climate refuges for residents who needed cooling.

Cantabria also moved to a higher state of readiness. The regional government kept its pre-emergency plan active as Liébana went under red alert and the rest of the region remained under orange warning.

The actions in both places reflected the same problem: the combination of extreme daytime temperatures and warm nights can turn a short heat spell into a more sustained public-health risk, especially for people who cannot cool down at night.

Why the alerts matter

The main risks fall on older adults, children, people with chronic illnesses, outdoor workers and anyone without reliable access to cooling. Prolonged heat exposure can lead to dehydration, heat exhaustion and more serious heat illness.

The episode can also disrupt work and daily life. Outdoor jobs, public events and other activities may need to be shifted away from the hottest hours, while local authorities may have to expand cooling access if the alerts continue.

Broader European coverage showed that Spain was part of a wider early-summer heatwave affecting several countries, but the Spanish impact was notable for the spread of red alerts across both northern and southern regions.

What happens next

The immediate question is how quickly AEMET downgrades the red alerts and which regions remain under orange warning. Forecasts cited in the reporting suggested conditions would improve from June 24, with a more noticeable drop later in the week.

Officials and health services will also be watching for signs of heat-related incidents if the warm overnight pattern persists. The story is not only the daytime peak but how long dangerous heat lingers after sunset.