British holidaymakers taking a trip to Spain this week have been advised to take precautions in the sizzling heat. The Express reports an orange alert has been raised in nine of Spain's provinces for "intense heat", with temperatures set to rise above a blistering 42C, and the heat levels are expected to last through to the middle of the week..
It comes as new laws have been passed which mean Spanish offices, shops and hospitality venues will no longer be allowed to set their cooling systems below 27C in summer - nor raise heating above 19C in the winter. The new rules are part of a set of energy-saving measures.
The eastern region of Extremadura was expected to see the hottest of the temperatures at the start of the week. Caceres and Badajoz, the provinces which form Extremadura, were joined by Salamanca, Avila, Toledo, Seville, Cordoba, Jaen and Ourense in putting out the weather warnings.
Temperatures were not expected to dip below 39C in Extremadura on Monday. Salamanca and Avila were expected to top 40C, according to forecasting, along with Ourense, in Galicia. Andalusia, Madrid, the Basque Country and Aragon remained on a yellow warning, along with Catilla y Leon, Catalonia, Navarre and La Rioja.
Temperatures for much of the country between 35C and 38C fall under the yellow warning, and Catalonia and Valencia were expected to feel the force of thunderstorms. Most of mainland Spain and the Balearic Islands are expected to see the mercury soar above 35C, with Galicia set to record 38C during the week.
Throughout the central region and the capital down to the south and Mediterranean coast, there will be little reprieve during the nights, with temperatures staying at 35C. Throughout the north and central parts of the country, thundery showers are expected through to Wednesday.
A spokesperson for Spain's state weather service said they were not dismissing the idea that the temperatures would reach heatwave status. They said: "It cannot be ruled out that it will end up being classified as a heatwave, especially in the south-west of the peninsula, although it will not be as extraordinary as that of mid-July."
The warnings come just days after Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called on workers to ditch their ties in an effort to save energy in the heat. The country has also been hit by a spate of devastating fires in a number of regions over the past few weeks with around 200,000 hectares of land thought to have been lost to wildfires this year.
With regards to new energy rules, shops will also be obliged to keep doors closed and heating systems must be checked more often to increase efficiency under the new measures, Spanish Ecological Transition Minister Teresa Ribera said. The measures include switching off store window lights after 10pm. Street lighting will not be affected.
The government passed the bill as part of a bid to reduce the country’s gas consumption by 7% in line with the recent European Union energy agreements to limit dependency on Russian gas. Ms Ribera said the measures would initially be maintained until November 2023.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced the new package last week, saying: “You just need to walk into a shopping mall to realise that maybe the temperature is set too low.” Spanish public institutions already operate similar energy-saving regulations.
The government says the measures will not only save energy but will also bring down bills for households and businesses. Spain is one of the hottest European countries in summer. The country has already had two heat waves this year with temperatures often surpassing 40C for several days in a row. Temperatures are forecast to soar again in the first weeks of August.
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