Spain suffocates: 45.1°C in Andújar, 43.7°C in the north — super El Niño promises worse to come
Over 100 weather stations recorded 40°C or higher, with a record 43.7°C in Cantabria. Almost the entire country is under heat warnings. Workers start at dawn and finish by 4pm. Experts warn: super El Niño will intensify droughts, fires and floods.
As reported by CCTV+, in recent days a large part of Spain has been gripped by intense heat, with authorities issuing weather warnings and urging residents to take precautions. According to Spain's meteorological agency (AEMET), more than 100 of the 828 weather stations recorded temperatures of 40°C or higher on Monday, affecting both southern regions and the typically cooler north. The highest temperature was recorded in the southern city of Andújar, where thermometers reached 45.1°C.
On Tuesday, in Tama in Cantabria, a coastal region in northern Spain, a temperature of 43.7°C was recorded — the highest ever registered in that region. The abnormally high temperatures are due to a flow of hot, dry air from the Sahara desert combined with strong solar radiation in late June. Almost the entire country is under a heat warning.
In the capital Madrid, workers struggling in the heat say the extreme temperatures have made their work significantly harder. They start their day at dawn and finish by 4pm to escape the scorching midday sun. Officially, indoor temperatures should not exceed 27°C, but there is no official limit for outdoor work. However, under labour law, employers must suspend outdoor work when AEMET issues orange or red alerts. But for small teams of freelancers, the pressure is high — they need to get the job done.
Swimming pools and water parks will be packed, but experts are increasingly concerned about the potentially devastating effects of super El Niño. AEMET meteorologist Rubén del Campo explained: "This happens when the ocean temperature in the equatorial Pacific exceeds the normal average by 1.5 per cent. With super Niño, this can trigger even more intense heatwaves, droughts, wildfires, torrential rains and floods." The current heatwave is expected to end on Saturday. But given global warming and super El Niño, experts warn that the worst is yet to come.
AEMET is Spain's national meteorological service, founded in 1887. El Niño is a natural phenomenon linked to rising sea surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific. Super El Niño is its extreme phase, capable of triggering global climate anomalies. Cantabria in northern Spain is usually known for its temperate climate, making 43.7°C there unprecedented. The late June 2026 heatwave has already entered the history books as one of the strongest in recent decades.
When thermometers hit 45 degrees and the north, where cool weather is expected, becomes hotter than the Sahara, nature ceases to be predictable. Spain is burning, workers are melting in the streets, and experts speak of super El Niño as the new normal. But behind these numbers is not just statistics. It is the lives of people who have to go to work in hellish heat because otherwise they cannot pay the bills. And while politicians argue about climate, the thermometer keeps creeping up. Perhaps the scariest truth is that we already know: the worst is yet to come. But we are still not ready for it.
