An episode of extreme overnight heat has left minimum temperatures of up to 39 degrees in parts of the Valencian Community from last night, Wednesday 19th August into Thursday morning. Intense westerly winds caused temperatures to surge and humidity levels to plummet sharply, creating historical readings across numerous municipalities.
According to the Valencian Association of Meteorology (Avamet), the event will go down in the region’s meteorological history due to both the persistence of the heat and its widespread impact. By midnight, temperatures ranging between 35 and 37 degrees were widespread across much of the territory, whilst locations such as Dénia and Ràfol d’Almúnia saw the mercury reach 39 degrees. Avamet noted that nearly one hundred Valencian municipalities recorded temperatures above 35 degrees at midnight, preventing the typical nocturnal drop and turning the early hours into a direct continuation of daytime heat. Torrevieja reached a maximum of 37.7 degrees overnight.
Temperatures above 37 degrees were recorded in locations including València, Quart de Poblet, Picanya, Tavernes de la Valldigna, Parcent, Redován, Benirredrà, La Vilavella, Gandia, Oliva, Cullera, Pego, Pedreguer, Favara, Corbera, Orba, Sagra, Dénia and Ràfol d’Almúnia.
As the night progressed, conditions worsened in areas such as Plana Baixa as westerly winds strengthened. In Nules, a temperature of 37.3 degrees was registered at 1:06 am, marking the highest reading of 2026 for the municipality despite occurring at a time when figures normally decline. During the same period, temperatures hit 38 degrees in La Vilavella and Betxí, whilst La Vall d’Uixò and southern parts of Onda reached 36 degrees.
The State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) reported that winds shifted westerly across the entire Valencia coastline, northern Alicante and southern Castellón during the night. This shift drove temperatures up and caused relative humidity to drop below 30 per cent, an unusually low level for a summer night in coastal areas.
This overnight episode followed extreme daytime heat on Wednesday, when the city of València recorded a maximum temperature of 42.8 degrees. Aemet confirmed this as the fourth-highest temperature recorded in the city since records began in 1869, trailing only 44.5 degrees on 10 August 2023, 43.0 degrees on 26 July 1881, and 43.0 degrees on 27 August 2010.
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