Heat dome reaches its peak with 41 provinces on notice for temperatures of up to 42 degrees

The heat dome that began this Wednesday will reach its peak this Friday with 41 provinces spread across 15 autonomous communities under warning for high temperatures of up to 42 degrees, depending on the areas.

The prediction of the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet), collected by Servimedia, indicates that the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands are the only autonomous communities that are free from the warnings, as are A Coruña, Alicante, Almería, the Balearic Islands, Castellón, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Málaga, Pontevedra and Santa Cruz de Tenerife among the provinces.

The current warm episode occurs after two weeks with "temperatures close to normal values, even below the usual ones on the Atlantic and Cantabrian slopes" of the peninsula, as Aemet noted this Thursday in an information note.

However, Aemet emphasizes that the presence of a dana to the southwest of the peninsula and an area of ​​high pressure over North Africa and the Alboran Sea have led to the entry of "a mass of warm, dry air with suspended dust over a good part of the peninsula and the Balearic Islands."

"This situation, in combination with high sunshine and subsidence, is giving rise to a progressive rise in temperatures until they reach very high values ​​for the time of year," said the Aemet.

Thus, a significant level of danger is expected during the central hours, especially for outdoor activities and for vulnerable people (advanced age, cardiovascular diseases, etc.), with nights that will also be very warm.

Meteorology stressed that "the level of fire danger will be at very high or extreme values, which will be accompanied by possible storms from Saturday" and states: "Although there is a high uncertainty in the intensity, extent and duration of the phenomenon, this episode will most likely not form a special heat wave warning."

The heat dome will reach its ceiling this Friday, when cloudiness could increase in the southwest of the peninsula, with a progressive increase in instability and the presence of suspended dust extending to practically the entire peninsula.

Daytime temperatures are likely to continue rising in the Mediterranean area and the northern half, while falling in western Galicia, Extremadura and western Andalusia due to an Atlantic flow.

The highest values ​​are expected in the Ebro valley and depressions in the northeast, where temperatures could exceed 40 to 41 degrees, as well as in the valleys of the southern half.

Aemet forecast for the weekend and next week

For this weekend, temperatures will probably decrease progressively and gradually from the west, as the dana approaches.

During Saturday, the maximum values ​​would remain around 40 degrees in the Ebro valley, depressions in the northeast and river valleys in the southwest. On Sunday, thermal drops are expected in the western half of the peninsula, most notable in Galicia.

Even so, higher values ​​of 39 to 40 degrees would remain in the Ebro valley, depressions in the northeast and river valleys in the southwest, and with possible rises in the eastern Cantabrian Sea.

Nighttime temperatures over the weekend could remain at least 24 to 25 degrees in areas of the southwest quadrant (which could have torrid nights) and 22 in the northeast (tropical nights).

At the beginning of next week, the most likely scenario is that temperatures will continue to be abnormally high in the southwest and the interior of the eastern third of the peninsula; although a trend towards a progressive decrease is expected, which could be more marked in the northern half.

Starting on Tuesday and Wednesday, the decreases could be more generalized, with softer values ​​appropriate for the time of year.