The first real blast of summer is expected to hit Mallorca this week. | Majorca Daily Bulletin reporter

TW
0

A mass of African air will send temperatures rising this week in Mallorca, according to the delegate and spokeswoman of the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) in the Balearics, María José Guerrero today. She has explained that the mass of hot air will start gripping Mallorca from Tuesday and Wednesday with maximum temperatures reaching 35º in the interior of the island.

According to Guerrero the hottest day is forecast to be Thursday, July 11, when high will peak at between 36º and 37º. After an unusual, unsettled and rather cooler start to the summer, temperatures this week will be much higher than usual for this time of the year, which are 30º maximum.

Related news

Nights will also be hot, especially on the coasts, where the minimum temperatures are not expected to drop below 23º. On Friday, July 12, the arrival of northerly winds will drag temperatures down slightly to around33 °. But they will still be higher than usual for this time of the year, but not as high as the previous days.

So far, this summer has not been as hot as last year and there has not yet been a heat wave; for this phenomenon to take place it is necessary to have more than three days with temperatures above 36º. Heat waves form when a high-pressure area in the upper atmosphere strengthens and remains over a region for several days up to several weeks. This traps heat near the earth's surface. It is usually possible to detect heat waves by using forecasting instruments. This allows the authorities to issue a warning.

Heat waves have an impact on the economy. They can reduce labour productivity, disrupt agricultural and industrial processes and damage infrastructure. Severe heat waves have caused catastrophic crop failures and thousands of deaths from hyperthermia. They have increased the risk of wildfires in areas with drought. They can lead to widespread electricity outages because more air conditioning is used. A heat wave counts as extreme weather. It poses danger to human health, because heat and sunlight overwhelm the thermoregulation in humans.