A yellow warning for thunderstorms has been issued by the Spanish weather agency State Meteorological Agency (Aemet), with heavy rain expected in a popular tourist region. The region has seen sizzling temperatures through early June but the agency warns that a mix of low-pressure air and an isolated cold low passing over Southern Spain’s skies could bring treacherous conditions to large parts.
Large parts of Andalusia in the south of the country could be swamped in heavy rain, although temperatures are expected to remain high. The area is popular with British tourists, with cities such as Seville, Córdoba, Malaga and Marbella all falling within its boundaries. The weather is set to hit from Wednesday and could last through the weekend.
Aemet warns that the region could see heavy rain accompanied by lightning, gusty conditions and hail although soaring temperatures are unlikely to dissipate.
Weather maps produced by WXCharts.Com show southern Spain’s temperature could exceed 30C in the south of the country, despite the rain.
By Friday, temperatures could soar to 35C in Seville while Malaga will see highs of 31C.
Despite the wet weather warnings, other parts of Spain have been issued with hot weather warnings, including Catalonia and parts of Aragón.
The hot weather and heavy rain is likely to be mirrored in the UK, with he Met Office warning that the country is set for its warmest day of the year so far on Friday in spite of wet weather warnings.
Earlier today, the agency issued wet weather warnings for parts of South West England, South Wales and Northern Ireland tonight and tomorrow.
But in spite of that, the country looks set to sizzle in large parts, with the agency listing the weather as a contributing factor to the expected thunderstorms.
Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist, Mike Silverstone, said: “After largely benign weather early in the week, some intense, thundery showers will move in on Wednesday evening.
“These thunderstorms are being triggered by some warm, humid air that is moving into the UK from the south.
“The intense rainfall could see 20-40mm accumulating over just a few hours, which could cause some disruption. While there are no severe weather warnings issued at the moment, it is possible thunderstorm warnings may be issued this week.”
Mike added: “As temperatures rise this week, it is possible heatwave thresholds could be reached in some parts of the UK, particularly the northwest Midlands, northwest England and northeast Wales, however it is very dependent on cloud cover later this week, so it is not a certainty.
“This warm spell will feel different to the fine weather we experienced in May as the humidity will be much higher, making it feel more uncomfortable. Additionally, while in May the nights were still fairly cool, overnight temperatures this week are forecast to remain fairly warm, which can disrupt people’s sleep.”