Weather warning for holidays in Spain & Portugal as temps soar to 44C

BRITS holidaying in Spain and Portugal have been warned of temperatures soaring up to 44C.

They have been told the heatwave is rare and is set to be “very intense” over the coming days.

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An orange weather warning has been issued for Andalusia, Spain, which reached 44C this weekend.

And other towns have been expected to reach 40C, with no signs of the heatwave settling.

The most intense conditions are expected in Costa del Sol, the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands.

And the extreme heat could last until the end of the week.

Brits have been urged to take preventative measures to protect themselves, including to stay in doors, stay hydrated and wear factor 50.

Spain’s Met Office Aemet said: “The heat will be very intense on the mainland and in the Balearics at least until next Wednesday and it is not ruled out that it could extend for a couple of days.

“The intense heatwave is very rare for the month of June.”

It added: “As of Thursday, we will exceed 35C in large areas of the Peninsula; more than 30C to 32C in the Balearic Islands and the south of the Canary Islands.” 

And summer temperatures are expected to last until October in Portugal.

Forecasting expert Ricardo Deus told The Portugal News: “There are several scenarios, but the most likely is that the month of June will be considered normal to hot.”

Last month was the hottest May for the country since 1931.

Last week Spain’s Government warned that temperatures will be much warmer than normal in June, July and August.

The probability of much warmer weather in the Canaries and the northwest of Spain is 60 per cent, and 70 per cent across the rest of the Spanish mainland and in the Balearic Islands.

The predicted rainfall will be below average.

Last month, a freak heatwave sent temperatures soaring across the country as an African plume arrived from across the continent.

Holidaymakers baked in 40C heat and people were pictured desperately dousing themselves in water at fountains in a bid to cool down this weekend.

Tourist hotspots like Seville, Cordoba and Granada enjoyed the highest temperatures, with the mercury hitting a record high for May.

The likes of the Balearics Islands, Andalusia, Madrid, and Catalonia in north-eastern Spain also saw intense heat for this time of year.

The north African plume pushed temperatures up to 15 degrees above average, seeing the typical summer peak come early.