The heatwave shows no sign of letting up in Mallorca and the nights are also very hot. The AEMET Balearic met. office has reported that in the areas of Capdepera, the Port of Palma, Banyalbufar and Soller, the temperature has not dropped below 25 degrees, making for a torrid night on Tuesday. Inland, it has been somewhat cooler, with the lowest temperature recorded in Campos, 18ºC. With regard to the temperature of the Mediterranean Sea, AEMET reports that it is very high and that this is also affecting the climate.
On Monday 30th, there was a record high in the Dragonera area of 30.55 degrees, the highest value in a month of June since records began. This Tuesday, it treached 30.9 degrees, although the July records place the nigh for this area at 31.27 degrees. These high sea temperatures make the nights on the island warmer in coastal areas, although daytime temperatures are milder.
The spokesperson for the AEMET in the Balearics, Miquel Gili, points out that since Saturday 28th, temperatures above 36 degrees have been recorded in parts of Mallorca, making the heatwave currently affecting the island longer than usual: they normally tend to last between 3 and 4 days and it looks like the current one will last up to 5 days. However, he points out that if we focus on the heat index, it is not one of the most intense.
But the heat is making it necessary to take measures. For example, horse-drawn carriages are not allowed to circulate in Palma, as this is prohibited when there is an alert. The municipal ordinance states that ‘horse-drawn carriages may not circulate in cases of yellow, orange or red alerts or serious or very severe risk due to high temperatures’. In addition, people working in the sun must take special precautions.
Two people died in a wildfire in Spain's Catalonia region yesterday, which was largely contained though more wind and thunder storms were expected today, Wednesday, emergency services and officials said, as Europe grappled with a severe heatwave. The blaze in Torrefeta broke out in a farming area on Tuesday afternoon, destroying several farms, and affecting an area stretching for around 40 kilometres (25 miles), firefighters said, adding there were no other casualties. The authorities reported two more heatwave-linked deaths also in Extremadura and Cordoba.
"The fire was extremely violent and erratic due to storms and strong winds, generating a convection cloud that complicated extinguishing efforts," the fire service said in a statement. Authorities warned that more storms were expected on Wednesday afternoon and urged vigilance. "Please exercise caution and follow all instructions and recommendations from the emergency services," Catalonia's regional leader Salvador Illa said in a post on X. Around 14,000 residents were asked to remain indoors for several hours on Tuesday. The wildfire comes as Europe faces an "exceptional" heatwave, prompting heat alerts through the region.