Spain swelters in first official heatwave of 2026

Madrid [Spain], June 23: Tourists and locals in Madrid struggled to cope with temperatures reaching up to 40 ​degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) as first official heatwave of 2026 set in, and authorities warned of over-exposure to the sun and an ​increased risk of wildfires.
Haily San Cesario, a ​22-year-old engineer visiting Madrid's El Rastro flea ⁠market from Miami said: "I'm dressed all in white ​because it's so hot, and I'm carrying my ​little electric fan everywhere I go."
Aemet, the state-run weather forecaster, said 13 of Spain's 17 regions are on orange ​alert for heat on Sunday, while the Basque ​Country, in the northwest, is on red alert, the highest . ⁠The heatwave will continue until Thursday.
Weather
"The heat really is exhausting," said Madrid resident Ana Garces, a 49-year-old social educator also visiting the market.
The head ​of SNCF, ​the French ⁠state-owned railway operator on Sunday, advised vulnerable people against taking the train during the ​heatwave, which on Saturday prompted a partial ​alcohol ⁠ban in France, nationwide warnings in Germany and the closure of a soccer fan zone in Spain.
The ⁠severe ​heat brought renewed concerns of ​its impact on people's health, particularly the elderly.
Source: Fijian Broadcasting Corporation