- Title: Spain braces for third heatwave of the summer
- Date: 7th August 2023
- Summary: MADRID, SPAIN (AUGUST 7, 2023) (REUTERS) TRAFFIC UNDER SUN SUN SHINING THROUGH TREE TRAFFIC AND PEOPLE CROSSING STREET UNDER SUN SUN SHINING PEOPLE DRINKING WATER AS THEY WAIT TO CROSS THE STREET (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) SPANISH WEATHER AGENCY (AEMET) SPOKESPERSON RUBEN DEL CAMPO, SAYING: "It's going to be a very intense heatwave with very unusual temperatures, even when it seems 40 degrees is something normal in Spain, that temperature is going to happen in cities where it is not at all normal to reach 40 degrees and therefore we need to insist on taking precautions in the face of forest fires and also on the protection of people vulnerable to heat." PEOPLE CROSSING STREET UNDER THE SUN TERMOMETER MARKING 39 DEGREES CELSIUS AT 13:53 (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) SPANISH WEATHER AGENCY (AEMET) SPOKESPERSON RUBEN DEL CAMPO SAYING: "We're going to have a heatwave, an episode with very high temperatures in most of Spain, favoured in one side by the atmospheric stability that makes the sun shine and heats the surface with strength. But also, because a very warm and very dry air mass of North African origin is going to reach us, and this is going to push temperatures higher. It's an episode that will affect most of the Iberian Peninsula and temperatures are going to be extremely hot. They will exceed 44 or even 45 degrees in points of the southern half of the peninsula and 40 degrees in northern cities and very little used to these temperatures, such as Burgos, Soria or Pamplona." WOMAN FANNING ON THE SHADE WOMEN DRINKING WATER, WEARING HATS AND SUNGLASSES (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) SPANISH WEATHER AGENCY (AEMET) SPOKESPERSON RUBEN DEL CAMPO SAYING: "Well, it is going to be generally a more intense and extensive heatwave, and a little longer compared to the two heatwaves that we have experienced previously in the month of July. It will affect a good part of the peninsula. The previous ones affected mainly the south. This will also extend to the north. It is going to be more intense, because although it is true that occasionally in previous heatwaves temperatures reached 40 degrees and even 44 degrees, in this one they will reach more extensively, 40 or 42 C degrees (111 - 113 F). And it will also last a little longer, because we will probably have it with us until Thursday or Friday. Therefore, there will be a heatwave of at least four or five days." TOURIST WALKING UNDER THE SUN HOLDING UMBRELLA / PEOPLE CROSSING (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) SPANISH WEATHER AGENCY (AEMET) SPOKESPERSON RUBEN DEL CAMPO SAYING: "We need to be very aware of the risk of wildfires. We are going to have an extreme risk of wildfires in the Iberian Peninsula, both in Spain, and in the neighbouring Portugal. We must take extreme precautions in this regard, because the risk of fire, I insist, is going to be very, very high, even extreme. On the other hand, obviously the intense heat has an impact on people's health. We must try to avoid exposing yourself in the central hours of the day, in the hottest hours, to the direct action of the sun and be very careful to be aware of vulnerable people such as babies, people with chronic diseases and the elderly to try to ensure that they are hydrated and that they are in a cool place as much of the time as possible." DELIVERY MAN RIDING BIKE UNDER THE SUN COUPLE OF MEXICAN TOURISTS FANNING AND WALKING (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) COUPLE OF MEXICAN TOURISTS RAFAEL, 52, AND ELIZABETH, 39, SAYING: "Yeah you can feel it, it's scorching as if we were on the chicken grill but it's nice." REPORTER ASKING HOW THEY BATTLE HEAT / "The secret is a hand fan. No really, to be hydrated and come fresh with beers, beers and lots of wine." / LAUGHS VARIOUS OF MAN SLEEPING ON A BENCH UNDER SHADE FOUNTAIN RONDA, SPAIN (AUGUST 7, 2023) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF TOURISTS TAKING PICTURES AND SELFIES FROM VIEWPOINT UNDER THE SUN VARIOUS OF TOURISTS STANDING BY BALCONY OF VIEWPOINT SHADES ON GROUND TOURIST UNDER THE SHADE WOMAN FANNING HERSELF UNDER THE SUN VARIOUS OF TOURISTS AT VIEWPOINT ENGLISH COUPLE TAKING A SELFIE (SOUNDBITE) (English) ENLGIHS TOURIST EMMA LAMBERT, 43, SAYING: "It makes it a bit more of a struggle, walking around, visiting places. You know you are like struggling to keep cool, keep in the shades and everything. But you are ok, you get on with it." VARIOUS OF LAMBERT AND HUSBAND WANDERING ELDERLY MAN DRINKING WATER FROM PUBLIC DRINKER VARIOUS OF PEOPLE FILLING WATER BOTTLE AND DRINKING TOURISTS WATCHING BRIDGE FROM VIEWPOINT UNDER THE SUN HORSE PULLING FLOAT CARRYING TOURISTS OUTSIDE BULL SQUARE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) CLEANER PILAR CIUDAD, 55, SAYING: "How to battle it? With a bottle of water, sunglasses and little else, because today the umbrella and the hat would fly away (because of wind) so we battle it with the fan, water and that's it." TOURIST TAKING PICTURE TO WOMAN HOLDING UMBRELLA VARIOUS OF SHOP SHOWCASING HAND FANS WOMAN WALKING WITH A HAND FAN
- Embargoed: 21st August 2023 15:37
- Keywords: Madrid Ronda heatwave in Spain hot weather temperatures weather
- Location: RONDA & MADRID, SPAIN
- City: RONDA & MADRID, SPAIN
- Country: Spain
- Topics: Environment,Europe,Weather
- Reuters ID: LVA001286207082023RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Spain on Monday braced for the first day of a week-long heatwave that meteorologists expect will push thermometers above 44 Celsius (111 Fahrenheit) in parts of the Iberian Peninsula and further heighten the risk of wildfires.
Southern Europe has been grappling with record-breaking temperatures during the peak summer tourist season, prompting authorities to warn of health risks. Scientists say heatwaves are becoming more frequent, intense and spread out across seasons due to climate change.
The factors causing the latest heatwave are a stable atmosphere - leading to cloudless skies - and the arrival of a large mass of hot and dry air from North Africa, Ruben del Campo of Spanish weather agency AEMET, told Reuters.
The combination of scorching temperatures and very low humidity caused water in reservoirs to evaporate at a faster rate, just as consumption was also on the rise, worsening the effects of the long-running drought afflicting Spain, he said.
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