Spain boils as mercury soars to 43 deg C

MADRID • Spaniards are staying in the shade in parks, heading for the beach or sipping iced drinks to tackle stifling temperatures as high as 43 deg C, as the country experiences its second heatwave this year.

Warm sunshine and a hot air front from North Africa have sent temperatures soaring and state meteorology forecasters Aemet said the heatwave could last until Thursday.

The highest recorded temperature on Sunday was 43 deg C by the Guadalquivir River near Seville in southern Spain and in Badajoz, towards the west of the country, they said.

For Syrian health executive Rasha, who lives in Abu Dhabi and is on holiday in Spain, the heatwave is an unwelcome surprise. "It's not as enjoyable as we'd like it to be on a holiday... But compared to the desert, it is not that bad," the 46-year-old said.

Mr Lazaro Cun, 37, a builder from Guatemala, stayed in the shade in Madrid's Casa de Campo Park to escape the heat.

"It is hot but at least with a breeze, you feel better," he said.

Aemet spokesman Ruben del Campo said the temperatures could touch 44 deg C in Corboda or Extremadura in southern Spain. "They could reach 42 deg C in parts of (central Spain) like Castille, and Leon and Galicia (in central and western Spain) tomorrow and Wednesday."

He advised people to avoid excessive physical activity, to take care of elderly people with conditions making them susceptible to high temperatures, and to drink plenty of water.

He also warned of a high risk of forest fires during the heatwave.

In June, Spaniards weathered the earliest heatwave since 1981, with temperatures surpassing 40 deg C in parts of central and southern Spain.

REUTERS