Spain records hottest June days on record after extreme heatwave

Spain recorded its two hottest June days on record this week, preliminary data showed Thursday, after an exceptional heatwave sent temperatures soaring across the country and shattered records in several regions.

Spain's meteorological agency AEMET said Tuesday was the hottest June day ever recorded across mainland Spain since records began in 1950, with the national average temperature reaching 7.1C (12.8F) above normal.

The agency added that Monday ranked as Spain's second-hottest June day, while Sunday was the eighth hottest since records began.

Temperatures eased across much of Spain on Thursday, but Wednesday remained exceptionally hot, particularly across the country's northern regions, where meteorologists issued red alerts for extraordinary danger.

At Bilbao Airport, temperatures exceeded 40C (104F) on Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday-the first time since records began that the 40C threshold has been reached three times in a single year.

The northern region of Cantabria also broke its all-time heat record, when temperatures reached 43.7C (110.7F).

Meteorologists said the heatwave was caused by a persistent heat dome over Western Europe, combined with a surge of hot, dry air moving north from the Sahara Desert.

Preliminary excess death data attributed 212 deaths to heat-related causes between Sunday and Wednesday.