Spain expects exceptional May heatwave

Spain will this week bake in a heatwave where temperatures could soar to their highest level for the time of year since 1950, national weather agency AEMET said on Wednesday.

A "mass of very warm air from north Africa" will bring heat usually seen in July, said AEMET spokesman. Maximum temperatures in some areas will reach "more than 10 degrees above normal for the time of year, especially in parts of the north, east and south", he added.

The southern Andalusia region will swelter under peak temperatures of around 40 degrees Celsius  and a new all-time heat record for May "cannot be ruled out", he said. Scientists say climate change driven by human activity is increasing the length, frequency and intensity of extreme weather events such as heatwaves. The last three years have been the hottest on record in Spain, which is emerging from a years-long drought.