Experts from the Climatology Laboratory of the University of Alicante warn of an extremely warm air mass for this time of year, which has already caused records in other parts of Europe and the Iberian Peninsula. This situation is expected to intensify from this Friday, significantly affecting regions like the Marina Alta.

For this Friday, May 29th, maximum temperatures are predicted to exceed 36 degrees Celsius in inland areas such as Pego, comparable to values seen in Andalusia or Extremadura. On the coast, Dénia will experience the regional maximum, surpassing 34 degrees.

Specialists are referring to a heatwave and fear the onset of tropical nights (minimum temperatures above 20 degrees Celsius), particularly in the pre-coastal and inland areas, from the early hours of Friday, May 30th, and throughout the first week of June. By Tuesday, June 2nd, maximum temperatures could reach up to 39 degrees Celsius in Pego.

Already this Wednesday, May 27th, several Avamet stations in the Marina Alta surpassed thirty degrees, including locations such as Pego, l’Atzúvia, Ràfol, Verger, Pedreguer, Benigembla, Ondara, Xàbia (Montgó), Dénia (Joan Chabàs), Els Poblets, la Vall d’Ebo, and Parcent. Overnight minimums approached tropical night conditions in Calp, the lighthouse at Cape Nao in Xàbia, Benissa, and Moraira.

The Mediterranean is also experiencing a "very rapid" warming. The official sea temperature in Dénia today, Wednesday, was 21.4 degrees Celsius, exceeding the May average (18.5ºC) and nearing the monthly record of 22ºC. It is expected that over the weekend, sea surface temperatures in the western Mediterranean could be 4 to 6 degrees above the average, reaching 25ºC, values typical of July.

Experts point to a new marine heatwave in the Balearic Sea, an exceptional situation occurring when daily average sea surface temperatures fall within the top 10% of the highest records in the entire climatological series. A first marine heatwave already occurred in April.