Spain's weather agency has issued red heat alerts for parts of Valencia, Alicante, and Murcia, warning of an "extraordinary danger" as temperatures are expected to exceed 44°C (111.2°F) on Thursday amid an intensifying heatwave.
Spain's State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) on Wednesday placed southern coastal areas of Valencia and Alicante, along with the Vega del Segura and Guadalentin Valley, Lorca and Aguilas in the Murcia region, under red alerts, forecasting temperatures of 42°C (107.6°F) or higher in inland southern Valencia and Alicante and more than 44°C (111.2F) in parts of Murcia.
For Wednesday, AEMET maintained orange alerts across broad areas of mainland Spain and the Balearic Islands, where temperatures are expected to range between 39°C and 42°C (102.2-107.6°F).
It also warned of thunderstorms across the eastern third of the peninsula, with possible large hail and very strong wind gusts.
Spain's Health Ministry also warned of growing health risks from extreme heat.
Its latest heat-health risk map showed the highest risk levels across parts of Aragon, Castile-La Mancha, the Valencian Community, Murcia, and Andalusia, while medium-risk conditions extended across much of the country's interior.
The ministry advised residents to stay hydrated, avoid prolonged exposure to the sun, and take extra precautions for older adults, children, and people with chronic health conditions.
State pact on climate emergency needed
Speaking after visiting wildfire-affected areas, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said more than 100,000 hectares had burned across Spain, roughly equivalent to the country's average annual burned area over the past decade.
He called for a state pact among institutions and political parties to strengthen wildfire prevention and climate adaptation, arguing that these measures should become permanent public policies backed by stable funding rather than temporary responses during emergencies.
Sanchez urged political parties to "set aside partisan politics" and unite against what he described as "our common enemy, which is the climate emergency," saying Spain must reinforce prevention, public awareness, mitigation, and adaptation efforts to better protect lives, communities, and ecosystems.
"The Spanish Government will be, as it always has been, providing resources for fighting the fire, as we are doing, but also allocating financial resources for the recovery of the affected areas," he added.
