Tourists and locals are 'melting' in the earliest Spanish heatwave in 40 years with even hotter temperatures likely to come.
Spain has just endured the hottest May in more than 100 years, with the mercury staying above 40C for long stretches across the south and centre of the country.
In the days before summer officially begins on June 21, the temperature in many holiday hotspots favoured by Brits could rise even higher.
The potentially record breaking temperatures are being fuelled by global heating, with human-released emissions causing a green-house effect.
Graham Keely, The Times' Spain correspondent, has relayed fears that an eye watering 50C could be recorded this summer - breaking the current highest temperature record by 2.5C.
He told Pat Kenny on Newstalk: "Temperatures have already reached the early 40s in parts of southern Spain.
"What is alarming is that the forecasters here are saying we could see temperatures rising as high as 50C.
"What is exceptional about what is happening now is that it is happening before summer has even started officially. It starts officially on the 21st.
"So, this is the earliest heatwave for 40 years – since 1981. This is quite something."
Spain's weather has a big impact on the mood in the country, with the highs of the 2022 heatwave rendering all but the most gentle activities near impossible in the 3pm sun.
In Seville fan sellers were doing great business on Saturday while carriage drivers who take tourists around the city's famous sights had to dampen down their horses.
Many other favoured holiday destinations are positively boiling at the moment.
Costa del Sol, as well as the Balearic and Canary Islands, are set to experience the most intense conditions up until the end of next week.
An Orange weather warning has been issued with highs in Andalusia forecast to hit 44C. Many other parts of the country are on Yellow alert.
The extreme heatwave will also affect tourists visiting holiday hotspots including Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Majorca and Ibiza.
A cloud of hot air from North Africa is behind the steady rise in temperatures, with forecasters predicting that high winds and storms will follow the sunshine when the pressurised weather front eventually breaks.
The high June temperatures are being caused by a 'heat dome', which means the warmth extends high into the atmosphere and impacts pressure and wind patterns.
A mountain of hot air is trapped by high-pressure conditions, compressing it like a lid and wedging it between areas of low pressure.
The weather front has been moving up from Spain to European countries including France and Germany, and is also responsible for the UK heatwave that is now beginning.
Those heading to southern parts of Spain are have been urged to take preventative measures to protect themselves from the heat, such as staying indoors, ensuring they stay hydrated and wearing SPF 50 suncream.
Aemet, the Spanish state’s meteorological agency, has issued orange weather warnings for a large stretch of the south and west of the country.
Holidaymakers heading to the Canaries or Balearics this summer are advised to stay in the shade as much as possible to avoid suffering heat exhaustion or heatstroke, and keep hydrated by drinking plenty of water.
Heat exhaustion - which is the precursor to heatstroke and is the body’s response to overheating - is often caused by a loss of water and salt.
It can lead to headaches, dizziness and nausea and turn into heat exhaustion if the body is not cooled down.
