Spanish heatwave kills 43 people in two days
Temperatures topping 45C have claimed 43 lives in a matter of days during Spain's scorching 'ola de calor' heatwave.
Scorching temperatures spreading across Spain have killed 43 people in just two days, according to data from the Carlos III Health Institute, part of the Ministry of Health.
It estimates that there were 43 deaths due to the heat recorded in the first two days of the heat wave - Sunday, July 10th and Monday, July 11th - that has seen temperatures climb to as high as 45C in parts of southern Spain.
The institute does not yet have data on the days since, but records between July 1st and 11th show an excess of 2,226 deaths in total, with 70 due to temperatures.
READ ALSO: 45C: Spain braces for ‘infernal’ temperatures on Wednesday
Thursday 14th was the "worst day" of the heat wave so far and the rest of the week saw temperatures above 40C across of the country, a spokesman for Spain's State Meteorological Agency (Aemet), Cayetano Torres, said yesterday.
"Today we have reached the peak of the wave," he said, pointing to temperatures of 44C in rural Seville, 45C in the Guadiana plain, and 42C in Madrid.
On Wednesday, temperatures in Almonte, Huelva, peaked at 45.7C, followed by Olivenza, in Badajoz, with 45.5C, and Morón de la Frontera, Seville province, where the mercury rose to 45.2C. In Seville capital, thermometers showed unofficial temperatures of 47C.
Wit the exception of the Canary Islands, all regions remain on 'high alert' due to the heat, with Andalusia, Galicia, in the north, and Extremadura on 'red notice' (extreme risk) for temperatures between 42C and 45C.
Aragon, Castilla y León, Catalonia, Castilla La Mancha, Madrid, Navarra, Basque Country and La Rioja are all on an orange warning level (temperatures reaching 40C), and yellow alert, low-risk regions (temperates between 34-39C) include Asturias, Cantabria, the Balearic Islands, Valencia and Murcia.
The Canaries are not suffering such suffocating temperatures and remain without an alert level for now.
Heat dome
Meteorologists believe that a "heat dome" could be causing Spain's heatwave and has pushed temperatures up in recent days. A heat dome effectively behaves as a cover that traps high temperatures in a given territory, causing them to rise over time.
The heat dome phenomenon occurs when high pressure in an area prevents hot air from escaping, and it is instead trapped as if it were in a dome. According to Scientific American, "a heat dome occurs when a persistent region of high pressure traps heat over an area.
The heat dome can stretch over several [regions] and linger for days to weeks, leaving the people, crops and animals below to suffer through stagnant, hot air that can feel like an oven."
READ ALSO: What is the ‘heat dome’ phenomenon causing Spain’s scorching heatwave?
Temperatures are forecast to remain above 40C over the weekend, with a drop in temperatures finally due to arrive on Monday or Tuesday.
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Scorching temperatures spreading across Spain have killed 43 people in just two days, according to data from the Carlos III Health Institute, part of the Ministry of Health.
It estimates that there were 43 deaths due to the heat recorded in the first two days of the heat wave - Sunday, July 10th and Monday, July 11th - that has seen temperatures climb to as high as 45C in parts of southern Spain.
The institute does not yet have data on the days since, but records between July 1st and 11th show an excess of 2,226 deaths in total, with 70 due to temperatures.
READ ALSO: 45C: Spain braces for ‘infernal’ temperatures on Wednesday
Thursday 14th was the "worst day" of the heat wave so far and the rest of the week saw temperatures above 40C across of the country, a spokesman for Spain's State Meteorological Agency (Aemet), Cayetano Torres, said yesterday.
"Today we have reached the peak of the wave," he said, pointing to temperatures of 44C in rural Seville, 45C in the Guadiana plain, and 42C in Madrid.
On Wednesday, temperatures in Almonte, Huelva, peaked at 45.7C, followed by Olivenza, in Badajoz, with 45.5C, and Morón de la Frontera, Seville province, where the mercury rose to 45.2C. In Seville capital, thermometers showed unofficial temperatures of 47C.
Wit the exception of the Canary Islands, all regions remain on 'high alert' due to the heat, with Andalusia, Galicia, in the north, and Extremadura on 'red notice' (extreme risk) for temperatures between 42C and 45C.
Aragon, Castilla y León, Catalonia, Castilla La Mancha, Madrid, Navarra, Basque Country and La Rioja are all on an orange warning level (temperatures reaching 40C), and yellow alert, low-risk regions (temperates between 34-39C) include Asturias, Cantabria, the Balearic Islands, Valencia and Murcia.
The Canaries are not suffering such suffocating temperatures and remain without an alert level for now.
Heat dome
Meteorologists believe that a "heat dome" could be causing Spain's heatwave and has pushed temperatures up in recent days. A heat dome effectively behaves as a cover that traps high temperatures in a given territory, causing them to rise over time.
The heat dome phenomenon occurs when high pressure in an area prevents hot air from escaping, and it is instead trapped as if it were in a dome. According to Scientific American, "a heat dome occurs when a persistent region of high pressure traps heat over an area.
The heat dome can stretch over several [regions] and linger for days to weeks, leaving the people, crops and animals below to suffer through stagnant, hot air that can feel like an oven."
READ ALSO: What is the ‘heat dome’ phenomenon causing Spain’s scorching heatwave?
Temperatures are forecast to remain above 40C over the weekend, with a drop in temperatures finally due to arrive on Monday or Tuesday.
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