Weather: How does Malaga turn into Andalucía's thermal oasis, with the lowest temperatures in the region?

Weather

Malaga city recorded a minimum temperature of 16.1C on Monday night, the second coolest of the eight provincial capitals in Andalucía

Almudena Nogués

Malaga

Summer seems to be here to stay. May will end with July-like temperatures, "5-10C above normal" for this time of year, according to the Aemet state meteorological agency.

Spain is not immune to the so-called "heat dome" affecting neighbouring countries such as Portugal, France and the UK. This is an atypical phenomenon in Western Europe for the end of May, in which warm air is trapped beneath a high-pressure system.

The high temperatures in mainland Spain will trigger weather warnings in parts of Cantabria, Extremadura and the Basque Country on Tuesday.

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  • At least for now, Malaga is escaping this sweltering heat, with temperatures remaining at milder levels. The maximum will remain around 27C, the lowest for the region as a whole.

    "For now, we're still enjoying a thermal oasis. Hopefully, it will last for quite some time. Last night, Malaga city recorded a minimum temperature of 16.1C, the second lowest of the eight provincial capitals in Andalucía," Malaga weather expert José Luis Escudero said on Tuesday.

    Only Granada registered a lower temperature (13.1C).

    "On Monday, Malaga again recorded the lowest maximum temperature in the entire region and even lower than in many provincial capitals in other regions," Escudero said.

    What factors explain this oasis? As Escudero pointed out, the key lies along the coast, in the moderating effect of the sea, which is still cool these days at 17C. Furthermore, the warm air mass is impacting the province less thanks to the low humidity that makes the heat less oppressive.

    Looking ahead to the next few days, Aemet forecasts another rise in temperatures with tropical nights (above 20C) and "exceptionally warm" temperatures for May, especially from Thursday onwards.

    Seville will reach around 40C this weekend. The forecast in Malaga, although pointing to the first 30C this year, paints a better picture compared to other provinces in Andalucía and even in Spain as a whole.

    Read today's weather forecast here.