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Sudden change after May heatwave<\/strong><\/p>\n After several days of record-breaking heat<\/strong> across Spain<\/strong>, a major weather shift<\/strong> is expected starting Sunday<\/strong>, as the polar jet stream begins to dip<\/strong> southward. This undulation will form a trough<\/strong>, or vaguada<\/strong>, which is forecast to intensify thunderstorms<\/strong>, particularly across northern parts of the Iberian Peninsula<\/strong> early next week.<\/p>\n Over the past few days, unseasonably high temperatures<\/strong> have dominated the weather narrative. In Andalusia’s Guadalquivir Valley<\/strong> and the southern part of Extremadura<\/strong>, the mercury could climb to 104 \u00b0F (40 \u00b0C)<\/strong> \u2014an exceptional value for late May<\/strong>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Polar trough to sweep the peninsula<\/strong><\/p>\n While heat remains dominant<\/strong>, several atmospheric waves<\/strong> will ripple across the country starting Saturday<\/strong>, culminating in the arrival of a more pronounced trough<\/strong> on Sunday<\/strong>. This cold air aloft<\/strong>, driven by a deep depression near the British Isles<\/strong>, will interact with the warm, unstable surface air<\/strong>, setting the stage for strong convection and intense thunderstorms<\/strong>.<\/p>\n The current high-pressure ridge<\/strong> over southwestern Europe<\/strong> is allowing calm, sunny conditions<\/strong> and record temperatures<\/strong> not just in Spain<\/strong>, but also in Portugal<\/strong> and parts of France<\/strong>. This ridge will break down as the trough pushes east, replacing stability with widespread instability<\/strong>, particularly in northern Spain<\/strong>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Where and when storms are likely<\/strong><\/p>\n As of today, exact locations of the strongest storms<\/strong> remain uncertain, but forecast models<\/strong> highlight the northern third of Spain<\/strong> as the most likely area to be affected. Regions such as Galicia<\/strong>, Asturias<\/strong>, Cantabria<\/strong>, La Rioja<\/strong>, the Basque Country<\/strong>, and the northern areas of Arag\u00f3n<\/strong> and Catalonia<\/strong> are expected to experience significant rainfall<\/strong> and frequent thunderstorms<\/strong>, especially in mountain ranges<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Some isolated development could occur over Sierra Nevada<\/strong>, the Central System<\/strong>, and the Iberian Range<\/strong>, though storms in these areas should be weaker and more scattered<\/strong>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Severe weather threats: hail, wind gusts, and lightning<\/strong><\/p>\n By Sunday afternoon<\/strong>, the unstable atmospheric setup<\/strong> may result in severe convective storms<\/strong>. These may bring hail<\/strong>, damaging wind gusts<\/strong>, and frequent lightning<\/strong>. Electric storm activity<\/strong> could be particularly intense in northern regions<\/strong> as the polar trough peaks<\/strong> in influence.<\/p>\n Forecast updates will refine the storm track and intensity<\/strong>, but residents in affected areas should be aware of the potential for rapidly developing adverse weather<\/strong> beginning late Sunday<\/strong> and continuing into early next week<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Sudden change after May heatwave After several days of record-breaking heat across Spain, a major weather shift is expected starting Sunday, as the polar jet stream begins to dip southward. This undulation will form a trough, or vaguada, which is forecast to intensify thunderstorms, particularly across northern parts of the Iberian Peninsula early next week. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":3206,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3205","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n