MADRID — Visitors and residents in Madrid found themselves battling sweltering conditions on Sunday as Spain’s first official heatwave of 2026 took hold, with thermometers climbing as high as 40 degrees Celsius — that’s 104 degrees Fahrenheit. Authorities issued warnings about overexposure to the sun and flagged a heightened risk of wildfires across the country.
Among those feeling the heat was Haily San Cesario, a 22-year-old engineer from Miami who was visiting Madrid’s El Rastro flea market. “I’m dressed all in white because it’s so hot, and I’m carrying my little electric fan everywhere I go,” she said.
Spain’s state weather agency, Aemet, reported that 13 of the country’s 17 regions are under an orange heat alert on Sunday. The Basque Country in the northwest is facing an even more serious red alert — the highest warning level available. Forecasters say the heatwave is expected to last through Thursday.
Another market-goer, Madrid resident Ana Garces, a 49-year-old social educator, summed up the conditions simply: “The heat really is exhausting.”
The scorching temperatures are not limited to Spain. The head of SNCF, the French state-owned railway operator, urged vulnerable individuals on Sunday to avoid train travel during the heatwave. The extreme heat had already triggered a partial alcohol ban in France on Saturday, prompted nationwide warnings in Germany, and led to the closure of a soccer fan zone in Spain.
Health officials are particularly concerned about the impact of the intense heat on elderly populations and other vulnerable groups.
