Heat and rain in Canarias, Cataluña and elsewhere, 26–29 August 2020

26 August 2020 to 29 August 2020. Updated 26 October 2026.

Over 4 days, 41 of Spain's 182 warning zones had an orange or red warning for heat and rain: 63 zone-days at orange or red, 6 of them red. The day with the most zones at orange or red was 27 August, with 19 zones.

29 August was the day with the most people in zones under an orange or red warning: 9.5 million people live there (INE municipal register, 2025).

RedOrangeYellowNo warningEach zone at the highest warning it had during the episode. Grey: no warning on those days.

True-colour satellite image of the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands on 27 August 2020 — Spain from space on 27 August 2020, the day with the most zones at orange or red. Image: NASA Worldview.

How it compares

It is number 54 of 119 episodes since June 2018 by zone-days at orange or red.
Among the 37 heat episodes, it is number 31.

Day by day

Day	Red	Orange	Yellow	Orange or red warnings for
Wed 26 August	4	9	58	heat
Thu 27 August	2	17	49	heat
Fri 28 August	—	14	22	rain, heat
Sat 29 August	—	17	25	rain, storms

Zones with a warning each day, at their highest level that day.

The zones

Zone	Province	Highest level	Warning days
Este, sur y oeste de Gran Canaria	Gran Canaria	red	3
Cumbres de Gran Canaria	Gran Canaria	red	3
Fuerteventura	Fuerteventura	red	3
Lanzarote	Lanzarote	red	2
Depresión central de Lleida	Lleida	orange	4
Cumbres de La Palma	La Palma	orange	3
El Hierro	El Hierro	orange	3
Este, sur y oeste de Tenerife	Tenerife	orange	3
La Gomera	La Gomera	orange	3
Oeste de La Palma	La Palma	orange	3
Campiña cordobesa	Córdoba	orange	2
Campiña sevillana	Sevilla	orange	2
Depresión central de Barcelona	Barcelona	orange	2
Litoral de Barcelona	Barcelona	orange	2
Litoral norte de Tarragona	Tarragona	orange	2
Norte de Gran Canaria	Gran Canaria	orange	2
Pirineo de Girona	Girona	orange	2
Prelitoral de Barcelona	Barcelona	orange	2
Prelitoral norte de Tarragona	Tarragona	orange	2
Prepirineo de Barcelona	Barcelona	orange	2
Área metropolitana de Tenerife	Tenerife	orange	2
Interior de Mallorca	Mallorca	orange	3
La Mancha albaceteña	Albacete	orange	3
Norte y nordeste de Mallorca	Mallorca	orange	3
Vega del Segura	Murcia	orange	3
Cuenca del Genil	Granada	orange	2
Este de La Palma	La Palma	orange	2
Interior norte de Castellón	Castelló/Castellón	orange	2
Interior sur de Castellón	Castelló/Castellón	orange	2
Morena y Condado	Jaén	orange	2
Norte de Tenerife	Tenerife	orange	2
Pirineo de Lleida	Lleida	orange	2
Valle del Guadalquivir de Jaén	Jaén	orange	2
Campo de Cartagena y Mazarrón	Murcia	orange	1
Gúdar y Maestrazgo	Teruel	orange	1
Levante mallorquín	Mallorca	orange	1
Menorca	Menorca	orange	1
Sierra Tramontana	Mallorca	orange	1
Sol y Guadalhorce	Málaga	orange	1
Sur de Mallorca	Mallorca	orange	1
Valle del Guadalentín, Lorca y Águilas	Murcia	orange	1

And 75 more zones with yellow warnings only.

What AEMET's stations measured

The most measured in the zones with an orange or red warning, on their warning days: 161.2 l/m² of rain in 24 h at Campdevanol (Pirineo de Girona) on 28 August; a high of 43.4 °C at La Aldea de San Nicolás, Tasarte (Este, sur y oeste de Gran Canaria) on 27 August.

Zone	Most rain in 24 h	Highest temperature
Pirineo de Girona	161.2 l/m² Campdevanol · 28 August	30.0 °C Maçanet de Cabrenys · 28 August
Depresión central de Barcelona	146.6 l/m² Berga · 28 August	31.5 °C Manresa (la Culla) · 28 August
Prepirineo de Barcelona *	146.6 l/m² Berga · 28 August	27.7 °C Berga · 28 August
Litoral norte de Tarragona	96.2 l/m² Tarragona · 28 August	31.8 °C Reus Aeropuerto · 28 August
Pirineo de Lleida	66.4 l/m² Torre de Cabdella · 28 August	36.3 °C Llimiana · 26 August
Interior norte de Castellón	56.8 l/m² Villafranca del Cid/vilafranca · 28 August	28.6 °C Villafranca del Cid/vilafranca · 28 August
Prelitoral de Barcelona	50.8 l/m² Pontons · 28 August	31.7 °C Vilafranca del Penedès · 28 August
Interior de Mallorca	43.4 l/m² Sineu · 29 August	35.7 °C Sineu · 26 August
Prelitoral norte de Tarragona	36.4 l/m² Valls · 28 August	30.3 °C Valls · 28 August
Sur de Mallorca	36.2 l/m² Llucmajor · 29 August	30.1 °C Campos, Salines Llevant · 29 August
Sierra Tramontana	35.5 l/m² Sierra de Alfabia, Bunyola · 29 August	26.7 °C Banyalbufar · 29 August
Levante mallorquín	32.8 l/m² Son Servera · 29 August	28.5 °C Santanyí · 29 August
Norte y nordeste de Mallorca	32.4 l/m² Artà-Colònia de Sant Pere · 29 August	38.5 °C La Puebla (sa Canova) · 27 August
Litoral de Barcelona	19.8 l/m² Santa Susanna · 28 August	32.1 °C Vilassar de Dalt · 28 August
Depresión central de Lleida	19.2 l/m² Lleida · 28 August	36.2 °C Lleida · 27 August
Valle del Guadalentín, Lorca y Águilas	15.2 l/m² Alhama de Murcia · 29 August	34.1 °C Lorca · 29 August
Campo de Cartagena y Mazarrón	13.6 l/m² Torre-Pacheco · 29 August	33.1 °C Mazarrón · 29 August
Interior sur de Castellón	11.8 l/m² Segorbe · 29 August	34.9 °C Atzeneta del Maestrat · 28 August
Gúdar y Maestrazgo	6.2 l/m² Montalbán · 28 August	30.3 °C Castellote · 28 August
Vega del Segura	4.6 l/m² Abanilla · 29 August	40.0 °C Alcantarilla, Base Aérea · 27 August

And 21 more zones with an orange or red warning.

* Zone with no AEMET station: the value is from the nearest one, outside the zone.

For each zone, the highest value its AEMET stations measured on the episode's warning days (the lowest, for the low temperature), with the station and the day. Rain from 07:00 to 07:00 UTC; gust: the day's strongest. It is what the zone's stations measured, not every town, and a measurement, like a warning, is not damage.

How AEMET's warnings unfolded

The red warning reached 6 zone-days, and AEMET always issued it ahead of time (median: 28 h). The first warning of any level for those same days had come a median 36 h earlier.

Zone	Day	First warning	Red issued	For · notice
Este, sur y oeste de Gran Canaria	Wed 26	Sun 23 Aug, 23:50 yellow	Tue 25 Aug, 11:28	14:00 · 27 h before
Fuerteventura	Wed 26	Sun 23 Aug, 23:50 yellow	Tue 25 Aug, 11:28	15:00 · 28 h before
Lanzarote	Wed 26	Sun 23 Aug, 23:50 yellow	Tue 25 Aug, 11:28	15:00 · 28 h before
Cumbres de Gran Canaria	Wed 26	Sun 23 Aug, 23:50 yellow	Tue 25 Aug, 21:59	14:00 · 16 h before
Cumbres de Gran Canaria	Thu 27	Mon 24 Aug, 23:50 orange	Tue 25 Aug, 22:55	14:00 · 39 h before
Este, sur y oeste de Gran Canaria	Thu 27	Mon 24 Aug, 23:50 orange	Tue 25 Aug, 22:55	14:00 · 39 h before

The full timeline: 109 changes at orange or red

Mon 24 August

11:30 Cumbres de Gran Canaria, Este, sur y oeste de Gran Canaria: Raises the heat warning to orange: Wednesday 26, 11:00–20:00. Highs of 39 °C.
11:30 Cumbres de La Palma, El Hierro, Este, sur y oeste de Tenerife, Fuerteventura, La Gomera, Lanzarote, Norte de Gran Canaria, Oeste de La Palma, Área metropolitana de Tenerife: Raises the heat warning to orange: Wednesday 26, 11:00–20:00. Highs of 37 °C.
23:50 Cumbres de Gran Canaria, Cumbres de La Palma, Este de La Palma, Norte de Gran Canaria, Norte de Tenerife: Issues a orange heat warning: Thursday 27, 11:00–21:00. Highs of 37 °C.
23:50 El Hierro, Este, sur y oeste de Gran Canaria, Este, sur y oeste de Tenerife, La Gomera, Oeste de La Palma, Área metropolitana de Tenerife: Issues a orange heat warning: Thursday 27, 11:00–21:00. Highs of 39 °C.
23:50 Fuerteventura: Issues a orange heat warning: Thursday 27, 11:00–21:00. Highs of 38 °C.

Tue 25 August

09:19 Campiña cordobesa: Raises the heat warning to orange: Wednesday 26, 12:00–20:00. Highs of 40 °C.
11:28 Cumbres de Gran Canaria: Brings the orange heat warning forward: now from 10:00 on Wednesday 26. Highs of 39 °C.
11:28 Cumbres de La Palma, El Hierro, Este, sur y oeste de Tenerife, La Gomera, Norte de Gran Canaria, Oeste de La Palma, Área metropolitana de Tenerife: Extends the orange heat warning: now until 21:00 on Wednesday 26. Highs of 37 °C.
11:28 Este, sur y oeste de Gran Canaria: Raises the heat warning to red: Wednesday 26, 14:00–18:00. Highs of 40 °C.
11:28 Fuerteventura, Lanzarote: Raises the heat warning to red: Wednesday 26, 15:00–19:00. Highs of 40 °C.
11:32 Campiña cordobesa, Campiña sevillana, Valle del Guadalquivir de Jaén: Raises the heat warning to orange: Thursday 27, 12:00–20:00. Highs of 40 °C.
11:32 Este de La Palma, Norte de Tenerife: Lowers the heat warning to yellow: Thursday 27, 11:00–21:00. Highs of 36 °C.
21:59 Cumbres de Gran Canaria: Raises the heat warning to red: Wednesday 26, 14:00–18:00. Highs of 40 °C.
22:55 Cumbres de Gran Canaria, Este, sur y oeste de Gran Canaria: Raises the heat warning to red: Thursday 27, 14:00–18:00. Highs of 40 °C.
22:55 Fuerteventura: Lowers the heat warning to yellow: Thursday 27, 11:00–21:00. Highs of 36 °C.

Wed 26 August

08:51 Campiña sevillana: Raises the heat warning to orange: Wednesday 26, 12:00–20:00. Highs of 40 °C.
11:23 Cuenca del Genil: Raises the heat warning to orange: Thursday 27, 12:00–20:00. Highs of 40 °C.
11:33 Depresión central de Barcelona: Raises the rain warning to orange: Friday 28, 12:00–24:00. Up to 30 mm in 1 h.
11:33 Este, sur y oeste de Gran Canaria: Raises the heat warning to orange: Friday 28, 11:00–20:00. Highs of 37 °C.
11:33 Prelitoral de Barcelona, Prelitoral norte de Tarragona: Raises the rain warning to orange: Friday 28, 12:00–24:00. Up to 40 mm in 1 h.
21:42 La Mancha albaceteña: Raises the heat warning to orange: Thursday 27, 14:00–20:00. Highs of 39 °C.
22:01 Morena y Condado: Raises the heat warning to orange: Thursday 27, 12:00–20:00. Highs of 40 °C.
23:00 Depresión central de Barcelona: Pushes the orange rain warning back: now from 16:00 on Friday 28. Up to 30 mm in 1 h.
23:00 Prelitoral de Barcelona: Pushes the orange rain warning back: now from 16:00 on Friday 28. Up to 40 mm in 1 h.

Thu 27 August

08:20 Fuerteventura, Lanzarote: Raises the heat warning to orange: Thursday 27, 11:00–21:00. Highs of 37 °C.
10:32 Litoral de Barcelona: Raises the rain warning to orange: Friday 28, 16:00–24:00. Up to 40 mm in 1 h.
10:32 Litoral norte de Tarragona: Raises the rain warning to orange: Friday 28, 18:00–24:00. Up to 40 mm in 1 h.
10:32 Pirineo de Girona, Prepirineo de Barcelona: Raises the rain warning to orange: Friday 28, 12:00–24:00. Up to 40 mm in 1 h.
10:32 Pirineo de Lleida: Raises the rain warning to orange: Friday 28, 10:00–24:00. Up to 30 mm in 1 h.
11:17 Sol y Guadalhorce: Raises the heat warning to orange: Friday 28, 12:00–20:00. Highs of 39 °C.
11:30 Litoral de Barcelona, Prelitoral de Barcelona: Issues a orange rain warning: Saturday 29, 00:00–06:00. Up to 40 mm in 1 h.
11:30 Litoral norte de Tarragona, Prelitoral norte de Tarragona: Raises the rain warning to orange: Saturday 29, 00:00–06:00. Up to 40 mm in 1 h.
15:09 La Mancha albaceteña: Lowers the heat warning to yellow: Thursday 27, 16:00–20:00. Highs of 38 °C.
21:23 Depresión central de Lleida: Raises the rain warning to orange: Friday 28, 16:00–24:00. Up to 30 mm in 1 h.
23:00 Depresión central de Lleida: Raises the rain warning to orange: Saturday 29, 00:00–03:00. Up to 30 mm in 1 h.

Fri 28 August

08:42 Gúdar y Maestrazgo: Raises the rain warning to orange: Friday 28, 14:00–22:00. Up to 30 mm in 1 h.
08:42 Litoral de Barcelona, Pirineo de Girona, Prelitoral de Barcelona, Prepirineo de Barcelona: Lowers the rain warning to yellow: Friday 28, 12:00–24:00. Up to 80 mm in 12 h.
08:42 Litoral norte de Tarragona: Lowers the rain warning to yellow: Friday 28, 12:00–24:00. Up to 20 mm in 1 h · 80 mm in 12 h.
08:42 Prelitoral norte de Tarragona: Shortens the orange rain warning: now until 14:00 on Friday 28. Up to 40 mm in 1 h.
08:44 Interior norte de Castellón, Interior sur de Castellón: Raises the rain warning to orange: Friday 28, 14:00–22:00. Up to 40 mm in 1 h.
11:18 Campo de Cartagena y Mazarrón, Valle del Guadalentín, Lorca y Águilas, Vega del Segura: Issues a orange storms warning: Saturday 29, 14:00–20:00.
11:22 Depresión central de Lleida: Lowers the rain warning to yellow: Saturday 29, 00:00–10:00. Up to 40 mm in 12 h.
11:22 Litoral de Barcelona, Prelitoral de Barcelona: Raises the rain warning to orange: Friday 28, 16:00–24:00. Up to 40 mm in 1 h.
11:22 Litoral norte de Tarragona: Raises the rain warning to orange: Friday 28, 18:00–24:00. Up to 40 mm in 1 h.
11:22 Prelitoral norte de Tarragona: Extends the orange rain warning: now until 24:00 on Friday 28. Up to 40 mm in 1 h.
21:42 Menorca: Raises the rain warning to orange: Saturday 29, 14:00–20:00. Up to 40 mm in 1 h.
21:42 Menorca: Raises the storms warning to orange: Saturday 29, 14:00–20:00.
21:42 Norte y nordeste de Mallorca, Sierra Tramontana: Raises the rain warning to orange: Saturday 29, 11:00–18:00. Up to 40 mm in 1 h.
21:42 Norte y nordeste de Mallorca, Sierra Tramontana: Raises the storms warning to orange: Saturday 29, 11:00–18:00.
22:26 Depresión central de Barcelona, Pirineo de Girona, Prepirineo de Barcelona: Raises the rain warning to orange: Saturday 29, 00:00–03:00. Up to 40 mm in 1 h.
22:26 Litoral de Barcelona, Litoral norte de Tarragona, Prelitoral de Barcelona, Prelitoral norte de Tarragona: Extends the orange rain warning: now until 08:00 on Saturday 29. Up to 40 mm in 1 h.
22:26 Pirineo de Girona, Prepirineo de Barcelona: Raises the rain warning to orange: Friday 28, 23:00–24:00. Up to 40 mm in 1 h.

Sat 29 August

10:58 Interior de Mallorca, Levante mallorquín, Sur de Mallorca: Raises the rain warning to orange: Saturday 29, 11:00–18:00. Up to 40 mm in 1 h.
10:58 Interior de Mallorca, Levante mallorquín, Sur de Mallorca: Raises the storms warning to orange: Saturday 29, 11:00–18:00.
11:40 Levante mallorquín: Lowers the rain warning to yellow: Saturday 29, 12:00–24:00. Up to 30 mm in 1 h.
11:40 Levante mallorquín: Lowers the storms warning to yellow: Saturday 29, 12:00–24:00.

AEMET's issue times, in mainland Spain time (Canary Islands in island time). Notice is the time from issue to the first hour the warning covered; a warning issued “for the current hour” runs from the hour it is published.

What this says and what it doesn't

A warning is an AEMET forecast, not a measurement or a damage report: it says a threshold is expected to be exceeded in a zone. A warning is not damage; a zone is not a building.

A zone-day is one warning zone with a warning on one day. Ten zones at orange on the same day make ten zone-days. A day with several warnings in one zone counts once, at its highest level.

Each zone has its own thresholds, so an orange heat warning in Asturias doesn't mean the same temperature as in Córdoba. More in how warnings work.

To cite: “Climaviso, from AEMET warnings”.

Source: official AEMET warnings, collected by Climaviso since June 2018.

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