It was warmest at 2pm on Thursday afternoon in Andalusia, with 44 degrees in Seville, and in Extremadura on the border with Portugal. There, the city of Badajoz also reached the 44-degree mark.
The heat is expected to culminate on Thursday. But in the next few days, temperatures in the country are expected to fall only to some degree daily, and remain around the 40 mark in many places, according to the Spanish state weather service Aemet.
In most of the country, a warning for extreme temperatures has been in effect since Wednesday. The Ministry of Health urges people to drink a lot, wear light clothing and stay in the shade or in air-conditioned spaces, writes AFP.
In western Spain, at least 3,500 hectares have already been ravaged by forest fires in the wake of extreme weather.
Fires in Portugal
Even in Portugal, the heat is around 40 degrees in many places. More than 3,000 firefighters and volunteers are fighting to save their homes from multiple forest fires.
In the village of Bemposta, the residents have sprayed water on their lawns and roofs with garden hoses in the hope of saving them from the flames.
Thousands of firefighters continue to fight the fires in Portugal. The weather warning may be extended, according to the Prime Minister.
– I could see the view, but a few minutes later I could not see anything but smoke, says 88-year-old Antonio Carmo Pereira to AP.
Extends the warning
Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa is considering extending the weather warning until Sunday, due to continued high temperatures. About 10,000 hectares have burned so far during the week, and over 30 residential houses and other houses have been destroyed by the flames.
In France, two forest fires are raging out of control for the third day in a row in the Bordeaux area. Around 1,000 firefighters are battling the fires, which have already ravaged about 4,000 hectares, according to the BBC. 6,000 campers have been evacuated.
The very hot air from North Africa is expected to continue towards France and Great Britain, where it is forecast to culminate at the beginning of the week.