ISTANBUL

Spain recorded its "most intense" heat wave during the 16-day period between Aug 3 and 18, the country's meteorological agency Aemet said on Sunday.

"The recent heat wave has been the most intense since records began in Spain," Aemet said on US social media company X.

The agency explained that the temperatures during the recent heat wave on Aug. 3-18 were 4.6 degrees Celsius (8.1 F) above the seasonal average, exceeding July 2022’s previous peak of 4.5C (8.1 F).

Aemet said that while the first 20 days of August 2025 marked the warmest Aug. 1-20 period since at least 1961, the Aug. 8-17 stretch was the warmest in Spain since at least 1950.

Temperatures from January to August ranked as the second highest on record, after 2024, the agency added.

Pointing to the growing duration, extent, and intensity of heat waves, Aemet attributed the increase to climate change.

"That four of the five most intense heat waves have occurred since 2019 is not a coincidence. Not every summer will always be warmer than the previous one; however, the trend toward more extreme summers is clear. The keys: adaptation and climate change mitigation," the agency said.

Aemet said temperatures are expected to rise over the next few days, though a possible drop could occur by month’s end, as the country continues to battle ongoing wildfires that started in early August.

Although Spain started to see improvements in the fire situation, firefighting efforts continue in the northwest where 15 fires remain active, according to broadcaster RTVE.

Wildfires have scorched over 407,000 hectares (1 million acres) across the country, with Galicia hit hardest at nearly 90,000 hectares (222,000 acres) in recent days, according to the European Forest Fire Information System.

Portugal has also been battling with multiple wildfires since early August.

The fire in the town of Arganil in central Portugal, which received the most attention from civil protection and spread to several neighboring municipalities since Aug. 13, entered the resolution phase on Sunday, broadcaster RTP reported.