Weather maps turn volcanic red as Spain hit by 35C heatwave as Brits head there on holiday

The hordes of British holidaymakers expected to descend on during the summer half-term break could be in for a treat, with roasting 35C weather forecast for the region. New from WXCharts show a heatwave of up to 35C hitting parts of southern Spain from Tuesday, May 27 - just as UK summer half-term gets underway. While there is no clear indication of exactly how many Brits are planning to flock to southwestern Europe from May 26, over 16 million went to Spain in the first quarter of 2024 - with the UK making up the bulk of foreign footfall throughout the year as a whole.

Forecasts show the sizzling temperature rise taking hold at around 6pm on May 27, rocketing straight up to 34C in areas around Seville and the port city of Huelva. The mercury is then expected to steadily climb to 35C in the southwest over the next 24 hours, with almost half of the country recording highs of over 30C by the evening of May 28.

It will follow a deluge of wet and stormy weather across Spain forecast for the coming days, with Brits who hoped to beat the half-term crowds facing disruption from heavy downpours in famous seaside spots including the Costa del Sol.

Spain's national weather agency Agencia Estatal de Meteorologia (AE Met) has even warned that snow could be possible for the Balearic Islands around May 15.

"Increased instability is expected across the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands due to the approach of a low-pressure system from the northwest," AE Met said.

Between May 13 and May 15, the country could be hit by "possible showers with strong thunderstorms and hail in large areas of the central and eastern peninsula and Majorca," a spokesperson added.

The inconsistent weather patterns, similar to those recently experienced by the UK, aren't out of the question for Spain at this time of year, according to travel agency TUI, although the first four months of 2025 have been the wettest on record.

Spring in Spain, which experienced a record-breaking 22 days of rainfall in March, usually involves "pleasant weather with mild temperatures, low rainfall, abundant sunshine and moderate huminity".

Showers are usually "sporadic, brief and scattered", TUI suggested - a far cry from the persistent wet weather recorded so far this year, which came just months after over 200 people died in the country's deadliest floods in decades last October.