+43.2°C in Fuentes de Andalucia, Spain, +42.3°C in Alvega, Portugal, only 1.5°C below All-time June Record for Iberia!
Marek Kučera 
The Iberian Peninsula is reeling under a brutal early-summer heatwave, with temperatures surging to +43.2°C in Fuente de Andalucía in southern Spain and +42.3°C in Alvega, central Portugal. These readings, occurring in mid-June, are extraordinarily high—well beyond the climatological norms for this time of year—signaling a dangerous acceleration of extreme weather.
This infernal heat is the direct result of a massive Saharan air mass pushed northward into Europe by a persistent high-pressure system. As this superheated, dry air crossed the Mediterranean, it blanketed Iberia in desert-level conditions, raising temperatures to levels typically seen only in peak July or August.
The +43.2°C in Fuente de Andalucía stands among the highest temperatures ever recorded in Europe in June, and the +42.3°C in Alvega is not far behind. These extremes are not isolated—they reflect a broader regional heatwave driven by Saharan dynamics, intensified by climate change and regional feedback loops.
The highest June temperature ever recorded in Spain is:
44.7°C, measured in Montoro, Córdoba (Andalusia) on June 13, 2021.
This record-setting temperature occurred during a severe heatwave in southern Spain and is officially recognized by AEMET (Agencia Estatal de Meteorología), Spain’s national weather agency.
The heat is having immediate consequences: wildfire risk is extreme, water reservoirs are under stress, and electricity demand is spiking as millions seek relief in air conditioning. In agriculture-heavy areas like Andalucía and central Portugal, this sudden, intense heat is also impacting crop development and livestock.
Meteorologists and climatologists are warning that Iberia is becoming one of the most climate-vulnerable regions in Europe, often the first to receive heat intrusions from the African continent. The frequency, intensity, and early onset of such heatwaves are consistent with warming projections for the Mediterranean zone.
As the Saharan furnace expands its reach, the Iberian Peninsula finds itself on the frontlines of a new climatic reality—one in which record-breaking heat is no longer the exception, but the seasonal expectation.
🌡️ Spain and Portugal aren’t just warming—they’re blazing.
Illustration picture: https://blog.fuertehoteles.com/en/top-ten/sunsets-in-andalucia/
