Andorra Logs Record 23 Heatwave Days in June-July, Beating Prior Mark by Six

Andorra's meteorological station at FEDA's hydroelectric plant has logged 23 heatwave days between 21 June and 24 July, eclipsing the previous record of 17 days from 2022 and 2023 by six, even before July ends.

Data released Monday by the National Meteorological Service show four heatwaves in that 34-day stretch, matching the peak number from the prior two summers. The most recent one, ending last Friday, ranked as the longest this season.

A heatwave day registers when both daily high and low temperatures exceed the 98th percentile of the station's historical records—the top 2% warmest values. Of those 34 days, 23 qualified under that benchmark.

Climate Action notes no heatwaves occurred at the FEDA site before 1988, with 2016 the last summer free of them. Every year since 2017 has seen at least one, reflecting sharp rises in both frequency and duration. This summer's unbroken streak over two-thirds of the period marks an unprecedented persistence.

Officials attribute the conditions to a stubborn anticyclonic ridge, compounded by Saharan dust intrusions that mingled with smoke from major wildfires in France and Spain.