Rain and thunderstorms are set to sweep parts of southern Spain this week as a weather front brings a dramatic change from the 40C-plus temperatures seen at the start of September.
Aemet has forecast the arrival of rain in Andalucia from Wednesday, with the unsettled conditions becoming more widespread on Thursday.
The change is due to an Atlantic weather system moving across northwestern Europe and will also bring a drop in temperatures of around 5C in the Guadalquivir Valley.
Juan de Dios del Pino, head of Aemet’s Andalucia office, said eastern parts of the region and areas surrounding the Alboran Sea will be particularly affected.
The first rainfall is expected over the mountainous areas of eastern Andalucia on Wednesday.
Conditions will then become more unsettled on Thursday, when showers and thunderstorms could affect parts of the Mediterranean-facing provinces of Cadiz, Malaga, Granada and Almeria.
The approaching trough will bring cooler air and westerly winds, helping drive down temperatures following another exceptionally hot start to the week.
Temperatures in parts of Andalucia are expected to approach 40C on Monday and Tuesday before falling following the arrival of the weather front.
Highs across the region are expected to fall towards approximately 35C, although temperatures will remain somewhat above the normal levels for this point in September.
The Guadalquivir Valley, which includes areas of Sevilla and Cordoba, could experience a drop of approximately five degrees on Wednesday.
Westerly winds will accompany the cooler conditions and are expected to continue, albeit with less intensity, into Thursday, September 10.
The biggest chance of unsettled weather is expected to be concentrated in eastern and Mediterranean Andalucia.
What about the weekend?
The change does not currently appear likely to herald a prolonged spell of wet weather.
Conditions are expected to improve heading into the weekend, with mostly clear or lightly clouded skies forecast across much of Andalucia.
Temperatures are then predicted to begin climbing again between Friday and Saturday.
They should stabilise on Sunday, although Aemet does not currently expect a return to the near-40C temperatures experienced at the beginning of the week.
The result will be a brief but noticeable interruption to the late-summer heat, bringing much-needed rainfall to some areas and significantly cooler conditions across parts of southern Spain.
Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.
