a day ago
Irish tourists warning as 45C temps in Spain hotspots prompt RED weather alerts
Irish tourists have been warned about extreme temperatures in some of Spain's tourist hotspots after a series of red weather alerts were issued on Sunday.
The official Spanish meteorological service, AEMET, has issued red alerts to 19 areas across the country, including areas such as Andalusia, Catalonia and Valencia, with popular locations such as Alicante, Cadiz, Girona and Seville also affected.
Maximum temperatures in areas affected by the red alerts are expected to reach between 40 and 45C on Sunday between the hours of 11am and 9pm.
Elsewhere in Spain, areas such as Madrid and the Balearic Islands have been issued with orange alerts, with temperatures in parts of Ibiza and Majorca set to reach 42C.
The affected 19 areas issued with red alerts have been classified as having 'extreme risk', which applies to 'unusual weather events of exceptional intensity and with a very high level of risk to the population'. Red weather alerts have been issued to multiple areas in Spain (Image: AEMET)
In these circumstances, people in affected areas are urged to 'take preventative measures and act', to follow the instructions of local authorities, avoid unnecessary travel and constantly check weather updates.
The alerts come after a rare 'black flag' warning was issued to tourists visiting La Gracios in the Canary Islands last week.
La Graciosa, a volcanic island, sits approximately 1.2 miles north of Lanzarote across the Strait of El Río. Similar to other Canary Islands, it was created by the Canary hotspot - a plume of exceptionally hot magma within the Earth's mantle.
The Spanish territory has been characterised as one of Europe's final destinations without tarmacked roads and amongst the least discovered and most tranquil of the Canary Islands. The island forms a volcanic massif sculpted by molten ash and lava, contributing to its striking landscape.
Playa de Caleta de Sebo, the "town beach" of La Graciosa's capital, alongside Playa de la Francesa, situated slightly further down the coastline, featured on the yearly Black Flag catalogue released by environmental organisation Ecologistas en Acción (Ecologists in Action).
Ecologistas en Acción's yearly assessment, which has been exposing environmental mismanagement across Spain since 2005, catalogues the beaches awarded a black flag this year.
According to Ecologists in Action, the beach at Caleta de Sebo remains in a "poor state of conservation", with debris from vessels, beachgoers and eateries adding to contamination.
At Playa de la Francesa, locals highlight concerns about catamaran excursions descending upon the location "holding parties, meals, games, and contests with loud music and leaving waste behind on the sand and in the water".
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