Spain activates first-ever September red heat alert – temperatures soar past 45C in unprecedented late-summer scorcher

Spain joined the list of countries holding the highest September temperature record on 45.7C, reported by the country's weather agency, AEMET. This temperature reading was recorded in the southwestern town of El Granado, mirroring the same value of 45.7C previously measured in Montoro in 2016, also located in Andalusia. This reading also marked the highest temperature recorded in Spain this year, during a week marked by summer-like heat waves that soared above 40C in the south and west of the country.

The unseasonal high temperatures in September follow a series of extreme summer heatwaves that have gripped Europe, a phenomenon scientists attribute to the impact of human-driven climate change, making such heatwaves more intense and prolonged. These extreme temperatures have unfortunately led to thousands of excess deaths across the continent, disrupted economies through drought and low river levels, and broken heat records.

AEMET had earlier issued the highest red alert for heat in small areas of Andalusia, a first time such warnings had been sent in September since they started in 2007. The agency also announced that mainland Spain has experienced its hottest January-August period on record, a clear distinction from the next four highest readings for the period - which were recorded in the four preceding years.

AEMET stated that warming in Spain is accelerating, a clear indication of the rising trend in temperatures. July was confirmed to be the country's joint-hottest month on record.