Spain's meteorological agency announced on Saturday it is preparing for a third heatwave starting Tuesday, with temperatures expected to exceed 40 degrees Celsius in large parts of the country.

The agency reported that the heatwave is exacerbated by a stable high-pressure area, which will trap hot, dry air from North Africa over Spain for several days, pushing temperatures to very high levels.

Peak of the heatwave

The heat is expected to intensify until Thursday, which is forecast to be the peak of the heatwave, with temperatures possibly exceeding 45 degrees in some areas.

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It warned that "the risk level will be high during the hottest hours of the day, especially for outdoor activities and the most vulnerable groups."

Temperature records

Spain has experienced two heatwaves this summer: one in late June, when temperature records were broken across Europe, and another in early July.

Spain's meteorological agency announced on Tuesday that mainland Spain had its hottest start to summer since records began in 1961. A massive fire that broke out in July in the province of Almería (southeast) claimed 13 lives.