It finally feels as though the “summer on” switch has been activated and the last weekend in June heralds a period of stiflingly hot summer weather, just in time for the arrival of the first major wave of international tourists at the beginning of July.

 

Many flights have been cancelled for the last week of June during the period of uncertainty when Spain was unsure whether to allow foreign tourists to enter the country without quarantining, but now all that remains is for the British government to announce that it will waive its own quarantine regulations on Monday to unleash a wave of tourism, creeping into Spain through the French roads network (Brittany ferries resumes services on June 29th) and on board the airlines which held their nerve and maintained flights for the first two weeks of July.

 

This weekend it’s going to be hot, hot, hot, with temperatures potentially hitting 37 degrees Celsius in the capital city of Murcia, although at the moment Aemet is predicting that the hottest day of the year so far will be next Wednesday when 39 degrees could be reached here in the Region of Murcia.

On Saturday clear skies, high clouds and light winds will herald in a hot day, the hottest areas expected to be central Murcia, with the capital city in the centre and the heat spreading up the Ricote valley, and across through Cieza and Calasparra as far as Caravaca de la Cruz, with maximums in these areas of 36 and 37 degrees. Aemet has issued a yellow heat alert for Saturday in this area of the region. The north-west could also see 35 degrees.

 

Elsewhere, temperatures will be in the low 30’s except for the Mar Menor area (31 max) and Cartagena which is expected to be slightly cooler, with maximums of around 28.

 

Minimums will be around 20º across the region, except in the Altiplano (Yecla and Jumilla) and the north-west (Caravaca, Bullas, Cehegín etc) where the lows will be around the 17º mark.

 

Sunday will be a little cooler, with early morning mists nearer to the coast, maximums slightly lower; 35 in Caravaca de la Cruz, 34º in Murcia city, Yecla and Lorca 33 and Cartagena around 27º.

 

The anticyclonic situation at the beginning of the week will influence a rise in temperatures during the week, although Monday will be the coolest day of the week.

 

Minimums will rise on Monday, reaching close to 20 degrees and over 22 in Cartagena, and Murcia, 21.

The maximums of the first day of the week will reach 35 degrees and only in Cartagena will they be below the 30 degree mark.

 

By Tuesday thermometers will start to reach suffocating temperatures, maximums expected to hit 37 in Caravaca, 36 in Lorca, 35 in Murcia, 34 in Yecla and 28 in Cartagena, with night-time temperatures remaining above 20 everywhere, so get out those fans and set them up ready for Tuesday evening and the first tropical night of July.

 

By Wednesday the maximums will rise, hitting 40º in the Altiplano (Yecla and Jumilla) and the Northwest region. In Murcia city maximums are forecast of 39 degrees, 37º in Lorca and temperatures in the mid 30’s everywhere else except Cartagena which will remain around 30º.

 

Make sure you drink plenty of water, wear loose clothing, a hat and plenty of suncream when venturing out into the sun and if you do have the first batch of visitors arriving next week, make sure they are fully aware just how dangerous these high temperatures can be and take ample precautions to protect their skin from this sun.