August 2021 heatwave: heat in Andalucía, Castilla - La Mancha and elsewhere, 11–17 August 2021

11 August 2021 to 17 August 2021. Updated 26 October 2026.

AEMET records a heatwave from 11 August to 16 August 2021.

Over 7 days, 122 of Spain's 182 warning zones had an orange or red warning for heat: 370 zone-days at orange or red, 60 of them red. The day with the most zones at orange or red was 14 August, with 103 zones.

15 August was the day with the most people in zones under an orange or red warning: 26.8 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 14 August 2021 — Spain from space on 14 August 2021, the day with the most zones at orange or red. Image: NASA Worldview.

How it compares

It is number 4 of 119 episodes since June 2018 by zone-days at orange or red.
Among the 37 heat episodes, it is number 4.
Until then, no heat episode in the archive had been this widespread.

Day by day

Day	Red	Orange	Yellow	Orange or red warnings for
Wed 11 August	—	16	65	heat
Thu 12 August	3	31	75	heat
Fri 13 August	6	68	39	heat
Sat 14 August	24	79	38	heat, storms
Sun 15 August	19	74	27	heat
Mon 16 August	5	32	37	heat
Tue 17 August	3	10	2	heat

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

The zones

Zone	Province	Highest level	Warning days
Campiña cordobesa	Córdoba	red	7
Cuenca del Genil	Granada	red	6
Morena y Condado	Jaén	red	6
Valle del Guadalquivir de Jaén	Jaén	red	6
Vegas del Guadiana	Badajoz	red	7
Campiña sevillana	Sevilla	red	6
Cazorla y Segura	Jaén	red	6
Depresión central de Lleida	Lleida	red	6
Guadix y Baza	Granada	red	6
La Mancha albaceteña	Albacete	red	6
Ribera del Ebro de Zaragoza	Zaragoza	red	6
Valle del Tajo	Toledo	red	6
Pirineo de Lleida	Lleida	red	5
Altiplano de Murcia	Murcia	red	6
Serranía de Cuenca	Cuenca	red	6
Sierra sur de Sevilla	Sevilla	red	6
Sierra y Pedroches	Córdoba	red	6
Subbética cordobesa	Córdoba	red	6
Sur, Vegas y Oeste	Madrid	red	6
Andévalo y Condado	Huelva	red	5
Campiña gaditana	Cádiz	red	5
Este, sur y oeste de Gran Canaria	Gran Canaria	red	5
Ibérica zaragozana	Zaragoza	red	5
Sur de Huesca	Huesca	red	5
Hellín y Almansa	Albacete	red	6
La Mancha conquense	Cuenca	red	6
Sierra de Madrid	Madrid	red	6
Valle del Guadalentín, Lorca y Águilas	Murcia	red	6
El Hierro	El Hierro	red	4
Este, sur y oeste de Tenerife	Tenerife	red	4
Interior norte de Valencia	València/Valencia	red	4
La Gomera	La Gomera	red	4
Oeste de La Palma	La Palma	red	4
Vega del Segura	Murcia	red	5
Litoral sur de Alicante	Alacant/Alicante	red	4
Alcaraz y Segura	Albacete	orange	6
Sur de Ávila	Ávila	orange	6
Tajo y Alagón	Cáceres	orange	6
Pirineo oscense	Huesca	orange	5
La Mancha de Ciudad Real	Ciudad Real	orange	6
La Siberia extremeña	Badajoz	orange	6
Sierra norte de Sevilla	Sevilla	orange	6
Sur de Salamanca	Salamanca	orange	6
Valle del Guadiana	Ciudad Real	orange	6
Bajo Aragón de Teruel	Teruel	orange	5
Centro de Huesca	Huesca	orange	5
Depresión central de Barcelona	Barcelona	orange	5
Interior de Mallorca	Mallorca	orange	5
Noroeste de Murcia	Murcia	orange	5
Ribera del Ebro de Navarra	Navarra	orange	5
Antequera	Málaga	orange	4
Cumbres de Gran Canaria	Gran Canaria	orange	4
Fuerteventura	Fuerteventura	orange	4
Lanzarote	Lanzarote	orange	4
Litoral de Huelva	Huelva	orange	4
Alcarria conquense	Cuenca	orange	6
Capital y Montes de Jaén	Jaén	orange	6
Cinco Villas de Zaragoza	Zaragoza	orange	6
La Mancha toledana	Toledo	orange	6
Metropolitana y Henares	Madrid	orange	6
Montes de Toledo	Toledo	orange	6
Montes del norte y Anchuras	Ciudad Real	orange	6
Norte de Cáceres	Cáceres	orange	6
Sierra de San Vicente	Toledo	orange	6
Sierras de Alcudia y Madrona	Ciudad Real	orange	6
Sur de Badajoz	Badajoz	orange	6
Villuercas y Montánchez	Cáceres	orange	6
Albarracín y Jiloca	Teruel	orange	5
Alcarria de Guadalajara	Guadalajara	orange	5
Aracena	Huelva	orange	5
Barros y Serena	Badajoz	orange	5
Depresión central de Tarragona	Tarragona	orange	5
Meseta cacereña	Cáceres	orange	5
Parameras de Molina	Guadalajara	orange	5
Pirineo de Girona	Girona	orange	5
Prepirineo de Barcelona	Barcelona	orange	5
Serranía de Guadalajara	Guadalajara	orange	5
Valle del Almanzora y Los Vélez	Almería	orange	5
Cumbres de La Palma	La Palma	orange	4
Grazalema	Cádiz	orange	4
Ibiza y Formentera	Ibiza y Formentera	orange	4
Menorca	Menorca	orange	4
Norte de Gran Canaria	Gran Canaria	orange	4
Norte de Tenerife	Tenerife	orange	4
Ribera del Ebro de La Rioja	La Rioja	orange	4
Ronda	Málaga	orange	4
Área metropolitana de Tenerife	Tenerife	orange	4
Este de La Palma	La Palma	orange	3
Centro de Navarra	Navarra	orange	5
Meseta de Salamanca	Salamanca	orange	5
Meseta de Valladolid	Valladolid	orange	5
Meseta de Zamora	Zamora	orange	5
Sistema Central de Soria	Soria	orange	5
Sur de Mallorca	Mallorca	orange	5
Interior de Alicante	Alacant/Alicante	orange	4
Interior sur de Valencia	València/Valencia	orange	4
Norte y nordeste de Mallorca	Mallorca	orange	4
Pirineo navarro	Navarra	orange	4
Ibérica de Soria	Soria	orange	5
Meseta de Segovia	Segovia	orange	5
Meseta de Soria	Soria	orange	5
Meseta de Ávila	Ávila	orange	5
Prelitoral sur de Tarragona	Tarragona	orange	5
Sistema Central de Salamanca	Salamanca	orange	5
Sistema Central de Segovia	Segovia	orange	5
Sistema Central de Ávila	Ávila	orange	5
Ibérica riojana	La Rioja	orange	4
Meseta de Burgos	Burgos	orange	4
Nevada y Alpujarras	Granada	orange	4
Prelitoral de Barcelona	Barcelona	orange	4
Prelitoral norte de Tarragona	Tarragona	orange	4
Sierra Tramontana	Mallorca	orange	4
Cantabria del Ebro	Cantabria	orange	3
Ibérica de Burgos	Burgos	orange	3
Interior sur de Castellón	Castelló/Castellón	orange	3
Meseta de Palencia	Palencia	orange	3
Norte de Burgos	Burgos	orange	3
Rioja alavesa	Araba/Álava	orange	3
Cordillera Cantábrica de Burgos	Burgos	orange	2
Litoral norte de Alicante	Alacant/Alicante	orange	2
Litoral norte de Valencia	València/Valencia	orange	2
Litoral sur de Valencia	València/Valencia	orange	2

And 28 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: a high of 47.6 °C at La Rambla (Campiña cordobesa) on 14 August.

Zone	Highest temperature
Campiña cordobesa	47.6 °C La Rambla · 14 August
Vega del Segura	47.0 °C Alcantarilla, Base Aérea · 15 August
Campiña sevillana	46.6 °C Écija · 14 August
Subbética cordobesa	46.5 °C Aguilar de la Frontera · 14 August
Cuenca del Genil	46.1 °C Granada-Cartuja · 14 August
Sierra y Pedroches	46.1 °C Espiel · 14 August
Sierra norte de Sevilla	45.8 °C La Puebla de los Infantes · 14 August
Este, sur y oeste de Gran Canaria	45.7 °C La Aldea de San Nicolás, Tasarte · 16 August
Interior sur de Valencia	45.7 °C Jalance · 14 August
La Mancha albaceteña	45.7 °C Villarrobledo · 13 August
Sierras de Alcudia y Madrona	45.6 °C Almadén · 14 August
Cazorla y Segura	45.5 °C Villanueva del Arzobispo · 13 August
Sierra sur de Sevilla	45.5 °C La Roda de Andalucía · 15 August
Valle del Tajo	45.5 °C Talavera de la Reina · 14 August
Valle del Guadalquivir de Jaén	45.3 °C Baeza · 13 August
Morena y Condado	45.2 °C Linares · 13 August
Antequera	45.1 °C Antequera Ayuntamiento (automática Thies) · 14 August
Valle del Guadiana	45.0 °C Puebla de Don Rodrigo · 14 August
Sur de Badajoz	44.9 °C Jerez de los Caballeros · 14 August
Tajo y Alagón	44.9 °C Navalmoral de la Mata · 14 August

And 102 more zones with an orange or red warning.

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 60 zone-days. AEMET issued it ahead of time in 54 of them (median: 25 h) and for the current hour in the other 6: warnings are also raised as things unfold. The first warning of any level for those same days had come a median 46 h earlier.

Zone	Day	First warning	Red issued	For · notice
Depresión central de Lleida	Thu 12	Mon 9 Aug, 23:50 orange	Tue 10 Aug, 11:42	12:00 · 48 h before
Pirineo de Lleida	Thu 12	Mon 9 Aug, 23:50 orange	Tue 10 Aug, 11:42	12:00 · 48 h before
Ribera del Ebro de Zaragoza	Thu 12	Mon 9 Aug, 23:50 orange	Tue 10 Aug, 11:42	12:00 · 48 h before
Campiña cordobesa	Fri 13	Tue 10 Aug, 23:50 orange	Wed 11 Aug, 11:34	14:00 · 50 h before
Campiña sevillana	Fri 13	Tue 10 Aug, 23:50 orange	Wed 11 Aug, 11:34	14:00 · 50 h before
Valle del Guadalquivir de Jaén	Fri 13	Tue 10 Aug, 23:50 orange	Wed 11 Aug, 11:34	14:00 · 50 h before
Cuenca del Genil	Fri 13	Tue 10 Aug, 23:50 yellow	15:32	15:00 · for the current hour
Guadix y Baza	Fri 13	Tue 10 Aug, 23:50 yellow	16:07	16:00 · for the current hour
Morena y Condado	Fri 13	Tue 10 Aug, 23:50 orange	16:07	16:00 · for the current hour
Campiña cordobesa	Sat 14	Thu 12 Aug, 00:43 orange	Thu 12 Aug, 11:51	14:00 · 50 h before
Campiña sevillana	Sat 14	Thu 12 Aug, 00:43 orange	Thu 12 Aug, 11:51	14:00 · 50 h before
Andévalo y Condado	Sat 14	Thu 12 Aug, 00:43 orange	Fri 13 Aug, 11:11	14:00 · 27 h before
Depresión central de Lleida	Sat 14	Thu 12 Aug, 00:43 orange	Fri 13 Aug, 11:15	12:00 · 25 h before
Interior norte de Valencia	Sat 14	Thu 12 Aug, 00:43 orange	Fri 13 Aug, 11:15	12:00 · 25 h before
Ribera del Ebro de Zaragoza	Sat 14	Thu 12 Aug, 00:43 orange	Fri 13 Aug, 11:15	12:00 · 25 h before

And 45 more zone-days.

The full timeline: 550 changes at orange or red

Only the changes involving red are listed: there were 550 in all.

Tue 10 August

11:42 Depresión central de Lleida, Pirineo de Lleida, Ribera del Ebro de Zaragoza: Raises the heat warning to red: Thursday 12, 12:00–21:00. Highs of 42 °C.

Wed 11 August

11:34 Campiña cordobesa, Campiña sevillana, Valle del Guadalquivir de Jaén: Raises the heat warning to red: Friday 13, 14:00–21:00. Highs of 44 °C.

Thu 12 August

11:51 Campiña cordobesa, Campiña sevillana: Raises the heat warning to red: Saturday 14, 14:00–21:00. Highs of 44 °C.

Fri 13 August

08:41 Campiña cordobesa: Brings the red heat warning forward: now from 13:00 on Friday 13. Highs of 46 °C.
08:41 Campiña sevillana: Brings the red heat warning forward: now from 13:00 on Friday 13. Highs of 44 °C.
08:43 Valle del Guadalquivir de Jaén: Brings the red heat warning forward: now from 13:00 on Friday 13. Highs of 44 °C.
11:11 Andévalo y Condado: Raises the heat warning to red: Saturday 14, 14:00–21:00. Highs of 44 °C.
11:15 Depresión central de Lleida, Interior norte de Valencia, Sur de Huesca: Raises the heat warning to red: Saturday 14, 12:00–21:00. Highs of 42 °C.
11:15 Ribera del Ebro de Zaragoza: Raises the heat warning to red: Saturday 14, 12:00–21:00. Highs of 43 °C.
11:26 Morena y Condado, Valle del Guadalquivir de Jaén: Raises the heat warning to red: Saturday 14, 14:00–21:00. Highs of 44 °C.
11:42 Andévalo y Condado, Campiña cordobesa, Campiña sevillana: Raises the heat warning to red: Sunday 15, 13:00–22:00. Highs of 44 °C.
11:42 Valle del Guadalquivir de Jaén, Vega del Segura: Raises the heat warning to red: Sunday 15, 13:00–21:00. Highs of 44 °C.
15:32 Cuenca del Genil: Raises the heat warning to red: Friday 13, 16:00–21:00. Highs of 45 °C.
16:07 Guadix y Baza, Morena y Condado: Raises the heat warning to red: Friday 13, 17:00–21:00. Highs of 44 °C.
22:45 La Mancha albaceteña, La Mancha conquense: Raises the heat warning to red: Saturday 14, 13:00–21:00. Highs of 42 °C.
22:45 Serranía de Cuenca: Raises the heat warning to red: Saturday 14, 13:00–21:00. Highs of 40 °C.
22:45 Valle del Tajo, Vegas del Guadiana: Raises the heat warning to red: Saturday 14, 13:00–21:00. Highs of 44 °C.
22:46 Campiña gaditana, Cazorla y Segura, Sierra y Pedroches, Subbética cordobesa: Raises the heat warning to red: Saturday 14, 14:00–21:00. Highs of 44 °C.
22:46 Cuenca del Genil: Raises the heat warning to red: Saturday 14, 14:00–21:00. Highs of 45 °C.
22:47 Altiplano de Murcia: Raises the heat warning to red: Saturday 14, 14:00–21:00. Highs of 44 °C.
23:16 Altiplano de Murcia, Cuenca del Genil, Morena y Condado, Valle del Guadalentín, Lorca y Águilas: Raises the heat warning to red: Sunday 15, 13:00–21:00. Highs of 44 °C.

Sat 14 August

08:43 Ibérica zaragozana: Raises the heat warning to red: Saturday 14, 13:00–21:00. Highs of 42 °C.
08:56 Sur, Vegas y Oeste: Raises the heat warning to red: Saturday 14, 13:00–21:00. Highs of 42 °C.
10:59 Cazorla y Segura: Raises the heat warning to red: Sunday 15, 13:00–21:00. Highs of 44 °C.
11:14 Litoral sur de Alicante: Raises the heat warning to red: Sunday 15, 13:00–21:00. Highs of 42 °C.
15:48 Sierra sur de Sevilla: Raises the heat warning to red: Saturday 14, 16:00–21:00. Highs of 44 °C.
16:26 Sierra de Madrid: Raises the heat warning to red: Saturday 14, 17:00–21:00. Highs of 40 °C.
22:24 Hellín y Almansa, La Mancha albaceteña: Raises the heat warning to red: Sunday 15, 13:00–21:00. Highs of 42 °C.
22:24 Sierra de Madrid: Raises the heat warning to red: Sunday 15, 13:00–21:00. Highs of 40 °C.
22:31 Sierra sur de Sevilla, Sierra y Pedroches, Subbética cordobesa: Raises the heat warning to red: Sunday 15, 13:00–22:00. Highs of 44 °C.
22:33 Altiplano de Murcia: Lowers the heat warning to orange: Sunday 15, 12:00–22:00. Highs of 43 °C.

Sun 15 August

08:28 Interior norte de Valencia: Raises the heat warning to red: Sunday 15, 13:00–21:00. Highs of 42 °C.
11:24 Este, sur y oeste de Gran Canaria: Raises the heat warning to red: Monday 16, 13:00–19:00. Highs of 41 °C.
16:07 Este, sur y oeste de Gran Canaria: Raises the heat warning to red: Sunday 15, 17:00–19:00. Highs of 41 °C.

Mon 16 August

11:27 El Hierro, Este, sur y oeste de Tenerife, La Gomera, Oeste de La Palma: Raises the heat warning to red: Monday 16, 13:00–19:00. Highs of 41 °C.
11:27 Este, sur y oeste de Gran Canaria, Este, sur y oeste de Tenerife, Oeste de La Palma: Raises the heat warning to red: Tuesday 17, 13:00–19:00. Highs of 40 °C.

Tue 17 August

11:20 Este, sur y oeste de Gran Canaria, Este, sur y oeste de Tenerife, Oeste de La Palma: Brings the red heat warning forward: now from 12:00 on Tuesday 17. Highs of 40 °C.

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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