Spain swelters in first official heatwave of 2026

MADRID, June 21 (Reuters) - ‌Tourists and ​locals ​in Madrid struggled to cope with temperatures reaching up to 40 degrees Celsius (104 ‌degrees Fahrenheit) on Sunday as the 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 level. The heatwave will ⁠continue until Thursday.

"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.

(Reporting by Graham Keeley, Sergio Gomez, Elena Rodriguez; Editing by Alexandra ‌Hudson)

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