A third heat sequence in just over a month will begin in Alicante province on Saturday, as a new mass of Saharan air reaches Spain. The director of the University of Alicante’s Climatology Laboratory, Jorge Olcina, said the hot conditions are expected to last throughout next week.

While daytime highs will rise, Professor Olcina said the most notable feature will be the night-time temperatures. Coastal areas are forecast to record widespread “equatorial” or torrid nights, with temperatures remaining above 25°C. He said the heat will be persistent rather than extreme at midday, but sustained over several days.

Olcina noted this is the third heat episode since late May and said it confirms forecasts that summer 2026 would be consistently hot along the Mediterranean coast. Sea temperatures off Alicante are already around 25°C and could rise by a further degree or more, increasing the likelihood of tropical and equatorial nights.

Spain’s national weather agency, Aemet, has warned of very high and persistent temperatures across the Peninsula and Balearic Islands from Sunday 5 July. Inland valleys could see temperatures between 38 and 42°C at the peak of the episode, with a heightened risk of wildfires and health concerns for vulnerable people.