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After a pretty mild start to the summer, most people in Alicante province now remember the true meaning of the word “heat” following skyrocketing temperatures at the beginning of the week. It’s hard to believe that by this time last year, Alicante had already sweltered through two heatwaves, but so far, things have been fairly bearable.

 

Well, the reprieve is well and truly over. The province has already been issued with several heat alerts for temperatures shooting up above 37ºC in the likes of Villena and Alcoy but this is just the beginning: the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) expects these weather warnings to remain in place at least until the weekend, and the scorching temperatures will likely stretch well into next week.

 

A yellow alert for heat, which represents a low risk, but a risk nonetheless, has been issued in the province of Alicante between 1pm and 8pm for Thursday July 11 and Friday 12. The temperatures will be particularly stifling inland but the heat will also hit the Vega Baja.

 

On Thursday, the warning encompasses most of Alicante but on Friday, the scorching temperatures will be concentrated in the south, with thermometers in Orihuela forecast to exceed 37ºC.

 

Although the next few days will undoubtedly be the hottest of the summer so far, Alicante has at least been spared the orange alert for extreme temperatures that has affected Murcia and parts of Valencia, with highs that have exceeded 40ºC.

 

The province will get a little break on Saturday July 13. The weekend will begin with cloudy intervals and a probability of summer rain and storms, especially during the early morning and the first hours of the day.

 

Temperatures will fall dramatically overnight, although they’ll still hover between 29 and 31ºC.

 

After this very brief respite, the mercury will shoot back up into the 30s on Sunday July 14, hitting a whopping 35ºC in Alcoy and Orihuela. The temperatures will be almost as high along the coast, but a moderate easterly breeze will cool things down considerably in the afternoon.

 

As we head into next week, the forecast is a little more uncertain but if the Aemet experts are right, we’ll need to take cover on Monday July 15. On a day that promises to be largely cloudless and sunny, the mercury is going to skyrocket, hitting an incredible 41ºC in Orihuela. The rest of the province won’t be far behind: highs of 37ºC and 38ºC are predicted in Elche and Alcoy, respectively, while the capital should reach a more modest 31ºC.

 

 

Image: Aemet