Spain’s Meteorological Agency (AEMET) and Civil Protection issued an alert on 18 July forecasting a severe heatwave likely to push temperatures above 45 °C in parts of Andalusia, Murcia and Valencia between Tuesday 21 July and Thursday 23 July. The advisory is accompanied by recommendations to limit daytime road travel, anticipate rail slow-downs and check airline hand-luggage lithium-battery restrictions (which tighten during extreme heat). Transport impact: high temperatures force Spanish infrastructure manager ADIF to impose speed reductions on certain AVE high-speed rail stretches and can lead to runway-traction limits at regional airports, causing schedule knock-on effects. Rental-car companies routinely ban one-way drop-offs across interior regions during red-alert days. Employers running group moves or assignee house-hunting trips should consider rescheduling midday property visits and ensure relocation teams have contingency plans for heat-related public-service stoppages. Health insurance providers recommend that expatriates download Spain’s “AlertCops” app for real-time safety push alerts available in English and French. Travellers from Northern Europe unused to extreme heat should note that many Spanish municipalities enforce temporary outdoor-work bans above 38 °C, which can delay construction handovers, immigration-medical appointments and even school-registration processes.
Source: Agencia EFE / AEMET bulletin
