Where are the hottest places in Spain?

Pretty much everyone in Spain will tell you the same right now: ¡Hace calor! (It’s hot!).

No surprise there - it's Spain, it's summer - but every year average temperatures appear to be inching up, heatwaves are more common and they last longer. 

The rainier north and the milder climate of the distant Canary Islands mean that it is possible to escape the heat during July and August in Spain, but there are locations in the country where every year the mercury is guaranteed to rise above 40C, making it fairly unbearable for anyone who isn't used to this kind of extreme heat. 

So where is it typically sizzling hot in Spain every single summer?

Highest average summer temperatures

Córdoba takes the top spot for highest maximum average temperature in Spain, averaging a staggering 36.5C throughout the month of August.

Seville makes it an Andalusian top two, averaging 35.5C in August. 

Badajoz, also in the south-west of Spain but in the region of Extremadura, averages 34.5C during August.

Murcia. Spaniards may jokingly say Murcia doesn’t exist but it certainly does and it’s hot - with a maximum average temperature of 34.2C throughout the month of August. 

Granada fills out the top 5 and makes it three Andalusian cities in the top 5. Granada, like Murcia, enjoys maximum average temperatures of 34.2C in August.

It can also get boiling hot in other cities in Spain's interior such as Madrid, Zaragoza, Toledo or Ciudad Real, even though they don't make the top five ranking.

Spain's hottest cities are in areas where the mercury is likely to be just as high during the summer months, such as the Baetic Depression of the Guadalquivir river (Seville), the Tajo Valley (Badajoz), the Vega del Segura alluvial plain (Murcia) and the Ebro Valley (Zaragoza).

Some towns with a reputation for being extremely hot during the summer are Montoro (Córdoba), Morón de la Frontera (Seville), Molina de Segura (Murcia) and Écija also near Córdoba, which is referred to as the 'frying pan' of Spain.

 

Map showing the average high temperatures during the summer months in Spain from 1981 to 2010. Source: AEMET

Highest average winter temperatures in Spain

Summer doesn’t last forever in Spain but there are many parts of the country that stay warm throughout the winter:

Gran Canaria - 22C. Together with the other Canary Islands, Gran Canaria stays mild and breezy during the winter months thanks to its geographic position and the ever-present trade winds.

Seville - The Andalusian capital can get a bit cold at times in winter but it averages 15C during December.

Valencia - The eastern city's positioning on the Mediterranean means it also averages 15C throughout December.

Mallorca - It may not always be beach weather during winter in the Balearics but 14C on average in December is very tolerable.

Hottest temperatures ever recorded

Spain not only has incredibly high average temperatures year round, but the height of summer reaches some scorching highs. We’ve taken a look at the highest single temperatures ever recorded in Spain:

Montoro. The single highest temperature ever recorded in Spain was in the small town of Montoro in the north-east of Córdoba province. The town of 9000 reached a staggering 47.3C in July 2017.

Mengíbar. The small town in Jaén province topped out at 47.1C in August 2011.

Badajoz. A quirk of history, and heat, is that Badajoz maxed out at 47C in both June 1864 and August 1964, almost exactly 100 years later!

Seville. The Andalusian capital also registered 47C in 1946.

El Hierro. The small Canary Island also reached 47C in August 1996.

A couple take a photo of a street thermometer reading 48 degrees Celsius during a heatwave in Cordoba on August 2021. These street thermometers aren't always accurate as they're baking in the sun. (Photo by JORGE GUERRERO / AFP)

Unofficial records 

The maximum temperatures above are the official list, but Spain has also had some rumoured, or unconfirmed scorchers that weren’t made reliably.

In July 1876 and August 1881, for example, temperatures of 51C and 50C were both reported in Seville but were measured in poor technical conditions so aren’t considered reliable results.

But anyone who has spent time in Seville or Andalusia during the summer won't have any trouble believing it.