A new heat record has been set in Spain, 47.4 degrees Celsius, in the city of Córdoba in Andalusia, according to the state weather service. That's 0.1 degrees warmer than the previous record from the same weather station in July 2017.

The high pressure, named Lucifer, and the accompanying heat wave that has hit Spain have prompted five regions to raise their preparedness. Twelve firefighting planes were deployed on Sunday to extinguish fires in Azuébar in the Valencia region. The fires are threatening, among other things, the Sierra de Espadán natural park.

Fires are also raging in Castile in central Spain and several smaller towns have been evacuated.

Between 2011 and 2020, Spain has recorded twice as many heat waves as in the previous three decades, according to the weather service.

Source: TT