Summer heat lingers in Spain with temperatures above 35C this week

Many across Spain have been looking forward to September and its cooler temperatures, giving a much welcome relief from one of the hottest summers on record, but the August heat is set to return much earlier than expected.

The mercury could reach between 6C to 10C hotter than normal Septembers.

Maximum temperatures above 35C are expected for much of the week in Extremadura, Andalusia, Castilla-La Mancha, and the southern region of Madrid, according to weather site Meteored.

The hottest days will be Wednesday September 17th and Thursday September 18th. During this time, the provinces of Seville, Córdoba, and Jaén could occasionally exceed 40C. Madrid and Zaragoza are also expected to experience highs of between 36C and 37C.

Highs of 34C are also predicted for parts of the Canary Islands.

READ ALSO: Latest Spain heatwave was 'most intense on record'

The only exception will be seen in north of the peninsula such as Galicia, Cantabria and the Pyrenees, which are expected to be cloudy with light rain.

Spain is also forecast to experience torrid nights once again as minimum temperatures will rise across much of the peninsula, with Aemet stating that they will not fall below 20C in the Mediterranean regions.

Night time temperatures will also not fall below 25C in Seville, Córdoba and the southern Canary Islands.

By this Friday September 19th, however, a cold front is predicted to arrive in the north of the country. This is forecast to bring persistent rain to Galicia, Cantabria and other northern inland areas. Precipitation is also expected in the Pyrenees with thunderstorms and accumulated rainfall of between 30 and 50 litres per square meter in 24 hours.

With the rain and storms comes a drop in temperatures, however, some areas in Andalusia and the Mediterranean will continue to record highs above the seasonal average.

Spanish Expression of the Day: Veranillo de San Miguel

It seems that the veranillo de San Miguel will arrive early this year, followed by a welcome respite from the heat.

Dubbed the ‘little summer of Saint Michael’ the phenomenon happens when temperatures rise again at the end of September, usually coinciding with the Day of San Miguel in Spain on September 29th.

This summer Spain endured a record 16-day heatwave that fuelled several wildfires. According to Aemet this was "the most intense on record", with average temperatures 4.6C above previous heatwaves.