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Summer refuses to leave Barcelona: record heat throughout the weekend
Barcelona faces this Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 September one of the hottest weekends recorded at this time of year. After breaking its record for maximum temperature for September twice in just 48 hours, the city will continue with values typical of high summer, virtually clear skies and no rain.
Saturday will be one of the most demanding days. Overnight, temperatures will barely drop below 23-25 ºC in much of the city, and in the neighbourhoods closest to the sea, they may remain at torrid night levels. By midday, temperatures are expected to exceed 30 ºC, and in the early afternoon, some parts of Barcelona could approach 34 or 35 ºC.
AEMET is forecasting a slightly more moderate outlook for the whole municipality, with a maximum of around 33 ºC and a minimum of 25 ºC on both Saturday and Sunday. Other models raise the peak to 34-35 ºC, especially in the inner and higher areas of the city. The difference will largely depend on the wind and the arrival of maritime air during the afternoon.
Sunday will not bring any significant change. The sun will continue to dominate, with few clouds and another day of intense heat. The garbí wind may keep temperatures high and dry the air even further, while the chance of rain remains virtually zero throughout the weekend.
This situation comes after an exceptional week. The Observatori Fabra reached 33.6 ºC on Wednesday, setting a new September record. Just two days later, on Friday, the thermometer climbed again to 34.1 ºC, once more surpassing the monthly maximum in a series that began in 1914.
The nights are not offering much relief either. On Thursday, Fabra provisionally recorded a minimum of 24.8 ºC, matching the highest night-time value observed there in September. In denser areas closer to the centre and the coast, minimums may be even higher due to the urban effect and proximity to the sea.
Protecció Civil has kept the intense heat alert active over the weekend. The episode affects much of Catalunya, where temperatures will be even more extreme in inland areas. For Barcelona, the main impact will be persistence: many hours above 30 ºC during the day and little drop in temperature at night.
Anyone planning to go to the beach will also find an especially warm Mediterranean. Meteocat puts the water temperature at Barceloneta at around 25-26 ºC between Saturday and Sunday, with a maximum ultraviolet index of 6. The middle hours of the day will continue to be the least advisable for spending long periods exposed to the sun.
Relief will not come suddenly at the end of Sunday. Forecasts suggest that Monday will still be very warm, although temperatures should then begin a gradual decline. The clearest change could arrive in the middle of next week, when cloud cover will increase and the chance of some showers will return.