Spain weather maps turn near-black as Europe's 'hottest city' hit by 41C blast

One of the "hottest city" in Europe is preparing for a scorcher, with highs of 42C ready to sweep across Spain, according to weather maps. Maps from WXCharts, which uses Met Desk data, suggest hot weather in Spain will continue over the next few days. On July 16, the country may see temperatures between 25C and 42C, according to the maps.

Seville has been repeatedly named Europe's hottest city, and it will be one of the warmest places in Spain on Wednesday, with highs of 41C, according to weather maps. And highs may reach an even hotter 42C in the area between Seville and Cordoba, the maps suggest. The rest of the southwest of Spain (including Badajoz and Jaen) will see temperatures between 40C and 41C, WXCharts suggests. The centre of the country (Madrid) could be between 38C and 39C. The north of the country (Zaragoza, Bergos, Leon) and the southeast (Albacete, Murcia) will sit between 33C and 37C, according to the charts. The north coast will be coldest, with highs between 25C and 33C.

UN Secretary General António Guterres wrote on X: "Extreme heat is no longer a rare event - it has become the new normal. I'm experiencing it firsthand in Spain... The planet is getting hotter & more dangerous - no country is immune."

The heatwave in Europe has been attributed to a 'heat dome', where high pressure traps heat in an area for days, meaning it cannot be moved by wind.

The warm air rises as it heats, becoming compressed and trapping even more heat.

The high pressure locks out clouds and cooler air, stretching into the atmosphere where it slows down and becomes 'locked' over an area. It also dries out the ground, creating perfect conditions for fires.

Temperatures in Spain this year have already broken multiple records, with Barcelona seeing the hottest June in 100 years.

Spain's official forecaster AEMET has predicted that temperatures this month will be warmer than average, especially in the Canary and Balearic islands. According to AEMET, the probability of a hotter summer ranges from 60% to 70%.