Aemet issues alerts in six regions and red warning in Gran Canaria for extreme heat

Spain's meteorological agency Aemet also warns of storms and heavy rain in Catalonia and Aragon, and keeps heat alerts in place for several regions. Spain's State Meteorological Agency, Aemet, has issued weather warnings this Monday for adverse conditions in six autonomous regions. The most worrying situation is in Gran Canaria, where a red alert has been declared for extreme temperatures that could reach 40 °C, while other parts of the country remain under alert for storms, heavy rain and heat. Heat triggers alerts in the Canary Islands The red alert covers the highlands and the eastern, southern and western areas of Gran Canaria, where the heat episode will be particularly intense. Elsewhere in the archipelago, alerts for high temperatures also remain in place: Tenerife is on orange alert, with forecast highs of up to 37 °C, while Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro remain on yellow alert. On top of the heat, Gran Canaria and La Gomera will be under warning for strong gusts of wind, which could reach 80 kilometres per hour. Hail and heavy rain in Catalonia and Aragon On the mainland, the main concern shifts to Catalonia and Aragon, where Aemet has issued an orange alert for storms that could be locally very severe. They are expected to affect in particular the central lowland area of Lleida and Tarragona, as well as the south of Huesca and the Bajo Aragón area of Teruel. Rainfall could be accompanied by hailstones more than two centimetres across and intense gusts of wind. In addition, several areas of the Pyrenees in Lleida and Huesca remain on yellow alert for rain that could bring up to 20 litres per square metre in an hour. More heat in the south and the Balearic Islands The spell of high temperatures is also keeping other regions on alert. In the province of Málaga, especially in the Costa del Sol and Guadalhorce areas, an orange alert remains in force for highs of up to 39 °C. Murcia and Almería, for their part, remain on yellow alert, where temperatures could briefly touch 40 °C. On Mallorca, Aemet is forecasting temperatures of up to 37 °C, and a yellow alert therefore also remains in place. Aemet advises taking extra care during the hottest hours of the day, avoiding prolonged exposure to the sun and keeping up to date with how the weather warnings are evolving.