Tropical nights are brought forward by the arrival of a warm air mass to Spain this weekend but Malaga escapes the worst

Weather

Temperatures will be well above normal for the month of May in much of Spain

Raquel Merino

Málaga

A warm air mass associated with the subtropical ridge has settled over Spain, bringing with it the early onset of the first tropical nights (defined ... as those when it does not drop below 20ºC between sunset and sunrise) and temperatures well above the usual May average.

Maximum temperatures are expected to be between 30 and 38 degrees this weekend in inland areas, especially in the Guadalquivir, Guadiana, Tajo and Ebro plains, where the highest temperatures are expected, according to Meteored meteorology experts.

In Malaga, the highs will be between 27-28 degrees and the lows around 19 degrees, almost at the limit of a tropical night. Although the Mediterranean is still relatively cool (between 19 and 22ºC), which limits tropical nights on the coast, night-time temperatures will generally be high.

Several areas of Spain will record similar minimum temperatures: close to 19-20 degrees in areas such as the Ebro and Tagus valleys, with temperatures close to 19 degrees in cities such as Madrid and Zaragoza. The highest overnight temperatures will be recorded in the Guadiana and, above all, in the Guadalquivir, where several cities, such as Alicante, Cadiz, Seville, Almería and Cáceres, will not drop below 20 degrees on Saturday.

This situation will continue on Sunday, although in different areas. Tropical nights will be spread over the large river valleys and the southern interior of Castilla y León. Meteored pointed out that minimum temperatures will rise to 19 to 21 degrees in cities such as Segovia and Valladolid. In addition, Madrid and Toledo will join the tropical nights, while in Las Palmas the minimum temperatures will also be around 20 degrees.

Unusual temperatures for May

Tropical nights are unusual in May, but so are the temperatures that will be recorded this weekend. Meteored said that, on Saturday, temperatures will be between five and ten degrees above normal for this month in large areas of the Cantabrian Sea, the northern plateau, La Rioja, Navarre, Extremadura, the Community of Madrid, Aragon and Andalucía.

On Sunday, these thermal anomalies will also extend to the southern plateau and the interior of Catalonia, while on the Mediterranean coast they will be somewhat more moderate due to the influence of the sea.