Spain has issued a series of severe weather warnings amid extreme temperatures in Europe

There’s no shortage of reasons hordes of travellers escape to Spain. From the dazzling beaches of the Costa Brava to the foodie havens in the north, via the countless cultural gems to discover in the country’s heart, it’s no surprise that more than 18 million Brits visit each year. In fact, Brits are the world’s most determined Hispanophiles, followed by French, German and Italian tourists.

However, travellers are being warned this summer as temperatures reach highs that some may find unbearable, especially if a sparkling swimming pool or a sandy swathe is out of reach.

In response to another scorcher of a summer, a series of weather warnings are in place across Spain, including a handful of rare ‘amber’ warnings.

Aemet (Agencia Estatal de Meteorología), the Spanish equivalent of the MET Office, has issued more than a dozen amber warnings covering many of the country’s major tourist regions.

At the time of writing (11am GMT, Wednesday 6 August), warnings are in place across Madrid and its surrounding areas, in addition to regions around the southern city of Jaén.

Further amber warnings are in place for the coming days around the city of Córdoba, best known for its rich history and unique mix of Moorish, Roman and Spanish architecture. The city often records some of the highest temperatures in Europe, with the MET Office predicting temperatures exceeding 40°C between Sunday 10 August and Tuesday 12 August.

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MeteoAlarm, the European weather warning website, has the following advice for those in amber warning areas: “Be prepared. Take precautions and keep up to date with the latest weather forecast. Severe damage to people and properties may occur, especially to those vulnerable or in exposed areas.”

Yellow warnings are also in place for much of Spain for the coming days, with people visiting, or living in, coastal regions popular with tourists including Almería and the municipality of Cullera advised to, “Be aware, keep up to date with the latest weather forecast. Moderate damages to people and properties may occur, especially to those vulnerable or in exposed areas.”

Spain’s amber warnings come alongside a series of yellow warnings across Europe from MeteoAlarm, with travellers to Sicily, Sardinia, several Greek islands and a considerable stretch of Croatia’s coastline advised to take precautionary measures against the heat.