MADRID — People in Spain prepared to stay as cool as possible Saturday as forecasts showed weekend temperatures could rise above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in large parts of the Iberian Peninsula.
Spain’s State Meteorological Agency issued warnings for extremely high temperatures produced by a mass of hot air crossing the Mediterranean from Africa that also is expected to bring dust and sand.
AEMET spokesperson Rubén del Campo said temperatures are forecast to be 5-10 degrees Celsius above average for the date in many areas of the country.
The heat will scorch central-southern Spain on Saturday before spreading east the coming two days. Only a segment Spain’s northern Atlantic coast ix expected to be spare.
Forecasts indicate the temperature could get as high as 44 degrees Celsius (111 F) in the Guadalquivir valley near Seville on Saturday.
Spain’s highest temperature on record is 49 degrees Celsius (120 F.)