New expat arrivals in Spain warned about massive heatwaves from next month

If you’re planning to emigrate to Spain in the near future, be warned meteorologists are projecting a series of massive, prolonged heatwaves due to begin next month.

Whether or not you’re a global warming skeptic, it’s becoming obvious the global climate is changing fast, causing heavier storms and longer periods of intense heat. In Southeast Asia, dry-season temperatures have broken records across the region, with a similar syndrome now about to hit areas from Northern France through the Mediterranean countries and including parts of Eastern Europe.

Heatwaves are predicted to be longer, far hotter and last throughout the summer months, bringing sweltering temperatures and breaking records for previous highs. Descriptions of what’s coming include ‘intense’. ‘long-duration’ and ‘persistent’, with the first heatwave arriving next month and beating out last year’s record highs.

For expats accustomed to hot summers who’ve had the forethought to install air conditioning, staying inside is the sensible option, but for new expat arrivals and summer tourists, it’s going to cause huge problems including heat stroke and severe dehydration. For Spain, one forecaster is projecting life-threatening highs of 43 Celsius (110F)and more.

The heat is expected to start in the Iberian Peninsula and spread to the north and east, encompassing Portugal and most of France at the same time as Poland and Hungary, bringing the threat of forest fires to all regions. Last summer’s heatwaves caused record temperatures in Scandinavia, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal and Belgium, but were relatively short-lived, but this year’s versions will be far more persistent and also hotter.

In all these regions, cooling down at night will be impossible without air conditioning, with governments urging residents, especially the elderly, to drink lots of water, dress in light clothing and spend most of the day in the shade. Poor air quality will accompany the heatwaves, caused by forest fires as well as by city traffic, with children, older expat residents and those with cardiovascular or respiratory conditions most at risk.