Spain faces toughest day of heatwave: red alerts and San Juan bonfires cancelled
Published on 23/06/2026 - 9:08 GMT+2•Updated 9:39 The early hours of this Tuesday, traditionally...
Published on 23/06/2026 - 9:08 GMT+2•Updated 9:39
The early hours of this Tuesday, traditionally celebrated for years with bonfires in squares and on beaches, will arrive this year without flames across much of the country. The reason lies in the thermometer readings: Spain is facing on Tuesday the toughest day of the summer’s first heatwave, with five provinces on red alert and highs nudging 42°C.
The epicentre of the heat is precisely where it would be least expected, in the north of the country. The State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) has issued red warnings for inland areas of the Basque Country and Cantabria. Andalusia is also raising alerts to red today because of the temperatures, while orange warnings are in place across around ten regions: the capital, for example, will hover around 40°C, Andalusia and Extremadura will exceed 42°C and the Ebro corridor will turn into an oven, with temperatures climbing past 41°C from midday.
The nights, equally stifling, will offer no respite either: forecasts suggest that temperatures in the small hours will not drop below 25°C across much of the country.
Extreme wildfire risk
Beyond the oppressive heat, attention is turning to a familiar feature of every summer: wildfires, which are currently keeping Catalonia on edge and putting regions such as Castilla-La Mancha, the Valencian Community and Galicia on extreme alert.
Forest fires have devastated 37,968 hectares in Spain between 1 January and 14 June 2026, according to the latest data from the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO). The burnt area is 2.8 times that recorded in the same period in 2025 and 24.9% above the average for the last decade.
Bonfires scrapped in dozens of towns
The wave of cancellations for the San Juan celebrations gathered pace throughout Monday. In the Basque Country, the Department of Security declared a pre-emergency situation and advised local councils to avoid lighting fires near woodland. Sopela, Getxo, Barakaldo, Santurtzi, Gernika and Amorebieta are among the municipalities that have called off their San Juan bonfires.
Not everyone has opted for a complete cancellation. Some mayors, such as the one in Bilbao, have tried to strike a middle course, authorising fires only in urban areas, on concrete and away from vegetation, with firefighters alerted and reinforced safety measures in place. According to meteorologists, the episode will start to ease from Thursday, when an influx of cooler air should bring temperatures back to levels more typical of the season.
