Spain has issued its first red heat alerts of summer 2026, with parts of the north facing an ‘extraordinary risk’ to life and property as temperatures soar to 40C.
The highest-level warning from Aemet has been activated for inland areas of Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa in the Basque Country on Sunday afternoon, between 1pm and 8.59pm.
Red alerts are rare and represent Aemet’s most serious category, reserved for conditions that pose a significant danger to public safety.
The warnings come as Spain braces for its first major heatwave of the year, with forecasters warning that temperatures could approach 45C in parts of the country next week.
The heatwave officially begins on Sunday and is expected to intensify through Tuesday.
Andalucia will escape the red alerts on Sunday despite predictions of 42C.
Large parts of the region remain under yellow and orange warnings, however.
The most severe warnings in the south have been issued for the Campiña Cordobesa and the Guadalquivir Valley in Jaen province, where orange alerts are in force and temperatures are expected to reach 40C, with some spots potentially climbing as high as 42C.
Elsewhere, yellow warnings have been activated for:
- Campiña Sevillana: 39C, locally 40C
- Cuenca del Genil (Granada): 39C, locally 40C
- Almeria coast and City: 38C
All of the Andalucian heat alerts are scheduled to run from 1pm until 8.59pm on Sunday.
The unusual aspect of this heatwave is not just its intensity, but where some of the highest temperatures are expected.
Northern regions such as the Basque Country, which rarely see 40C heat, are forecast to endure conditions more commonly associated with the Guadalquivir Valley.
Aemet says southerly winds will funnel exceptionally hot air into the Cantabrian region, creating dangerous conditions in areas that are generally less accustomed to extreme heat.
