AEMET warns that more heat is on the way.

Spain has hit another climate milestone. According to meteorologists, this is something that has not occurred in at least the last 76 years. According to preliminary figures from Spain’s State Meteorological Agency AEMET, June 22 and 23, 2026 will be the hottest days recorded since 1950.

Also, the figures include a warning. Scientists have predicted that heatwaves in Spain could become more frequent and last longer, as well as arrive earlier in summer.

Although the heatwave felt unusual to many, it was not a rare event. AEMET‘s analysis suggests it is also part of a much bigger pattern. The climate of Spain is changing with every passing summer. From temperatures that break records in the north to nights that get hotter in the major cities.

Spain’s record-breaking June temperatures have changed the course of history

AEMET’s figures are provisional, as they were calculated before the heatwave was over. Even so, the figures already reveal something remarkable.

An analysis by José Ángel Núñez Mora, Head of Climatology at AEMET In the Valencian Community it was found that on June 22 and 23, there were temperatures 7.1C higher than normal in mainland Spain. Simply put, Spain was seven degrees warmer than normal for these dates.

The previous June record had only been established on June 30, 2025.

Even more impressive is the place June 23 occupies in Spain’s weather history.

It was the 21st hottest day in mainland Spain measured throughout the history of records, regardless the season. The days that rank above this one are almost all from July or August. Only July 1995 is an exception.

It’s important for meteorologists as June is traditionally the month where temperatures are building up to their peak in summer. These figures show how intense heat will arrive much earlier than July.

Northern Spain recorded some of the most extreme temperatures it has ever experienced

Heatwaves in southern Spain are nothing new, but the story of this heatwave was unfolded thousands of kilometres north.

On June 23, Tama, in Cantabria’s Liébana region, reached 43.7C, setting a new all time maximum temperature record for the region during any month of the year.

Bilbao experienced something else that was unprecedented.

Since 1947, the city has never experienced three days with temperatures above 40C in the same calendar month. It happened in June on the 21st, 23rd and 24th.

The temperature of 42.7C measured on June 24, became the highest ever recorded in June or July.

Temperatures like these are more often associated with Andalusia in the north of Spain than the Bay of Biscay.

This contrast shows how far this heatwave has spread, even to areas that had previously escaped Spain’s worst summer extremes.

Heatwaves have become more frequent, and nights are getting hotter.

AEMET believes that while individual records are often the focus of attention, the overall statistics tell a similar story.

You can also 1975 and 2025, Spain experienced There are 78 official heatwavesAddition and subtraction There are 458 days in a year. Extreme heat

The rapidity with which these numbers have changed is striking.

In the first half, between 1975 and 2000, Spain had 129 days of heatwaves. In the period between 2001 and 2025 this figure increased to 329, or more than double.

In the last decade, this picture has become even more clear. Spain averages 22 heatwaves per year. In the 1970s and 1980s, there were only three.

AEMET reports that heatwaves now tend to cover a greater area and cause more temperature anomalies compared with previous decades.

According to the agency’s projections, this trend is likely continue.

By the end of this century, Spain may experience 47 heatwaves per year if greenhouse gas emissions are based on an intermediate scenario.

According to the most severe projections, heatwaves could last 77 days a year.

The heat of the day is only one aspect.

The summer nights are also getting warmer, especially along the Mediterranean coastline, where cities struggle to cool down after sunset due to the combined effects climate change and urban heat islands.

Barcelona and Valencia experience more tropical nights now, with temperatures staying above 20C. Madrid has also experienced a marked rise at the Barajas Observatories and Retiro Observatories.

According to AEMET’s findings, the main cause of this warming is due to an increase in greenhouse gasses produced by fossil fuels. Weather balloon observations indicate that the temperature increase is not only limited to the ground. It is present in the lower atmosphere and confirms that Spain’s weather continues to warm.

Most people will remember the heatwave for its uncomfortable nights, unrelenting sunshine, and high temperatures during the day. Meteorologists will also be left with a new set of statistics that show what was once considered exceptional has become more common. AEMET predicts that more heatwaves will likely arrive in the summer season, as it has just begun.