Spain braces for late May heatwave with 40C forecast in south of country

High pressure and hot, dry air from north Africa to bring temperatures 5-10 degrees above normal for time of year

Temperatures on the two hottest days this week — probably Thursday and Friday — are forecast to reach 35C in central and northern areas and 40C along the Guadalquivir River in Andalucía.

Spain is bracing for another sweltering end to May, with the mercury in southern parts of the country set to hit 40C as high-pressure areas and a mass of hot, dry air bring temperatures more than 10C above the seasonal norm.

The high temperatures come almost exactly three years after some areas of Spain experienced their hottest May since records began and the temperature at Seville airport reached 41C.