As a mass of hot, dry air rushes in from Africa, bringing dusty sky and temperatures of more than 40°C, parts of Spain are experiencing their hottest May on record.

The Spanish weather service, Aemet, has predicted a weekend heatwave of “extraordinary intensity,” with temperatures ranging between 10°C and 15°C above the monthly average and more equivalent to high summer than mid-May.

“The early hours of 21 May have been extraordinarily hot for the time of year across a good part of the center and south of the peninsula,” Aemet said on Saturday. “In many places the temperature did not fall below 25°C, something practically unheard of in May.”

On Friday, the temperature at Seville Airport reached 41°C, while Jaen had its first May temperature of more than 40°C, with thermometers reading an astonishing 40.3°C — about 2°C higher than the previous record.

On Friday, Segovia, northwest of Madrid, had its first “tropical” May night, with temperatures remaining above 20°C.

Temperatures in sections of Andalucia were projected to reach 40°C on Saturday afternoon, with highs of 36°C in Madrid and 38°C in Zaragoza in the northeast.

Much of Spain is under yellow alert, which means that while there is no “meteorological risk to the population,” certain activities may be hazardous.

The Spanish government has launched its national heat strategy and advises citizens to stay hydrated and wear light clothing.

It also advises keeping a tight eye on children, pregnant women, the elderly, and the chronically ill.

 While most of the country was expecting the heat to climax on Saturday, temperatures in the northeastern Ebro valley might hit an unheard-of 39°C yesterday.

 Last August, Spain recorded its highest-ever temperature of 47.4°C in the Andalucian town of Montoro.

According to a recent Aemet study, the advent of 30°C temperatures in Spain and the Balearic Islands has occurred an average of 20 to 40 days sooner during the last 71 years.

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