The episode of high temperatures that begins today could lead to the first heat wave of summer. Meanwhile, five provinces in the southwest will register very high maximum temperatures as they will touch 40 degrees Celsius, according to the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet).

The arrival of an air mass of African origin and atmospheric stability will raise temperatures to 39ºC from this Friday in the southwest. And it will exceed 40ºC on Sunday in a good part of the Peninsula, although the heat episode will continue until the middle of next week.

Five southwestern provinces are at risk of high maximum temperatures. Specifically, a yellow warning has been issued for Córdoba, Huelva, Jaén, Seville and Badajoz because this Friday they will reach 39 degrees Celsius, and for Cádiz, due to the risk of winds of up to 80 kilometers per hour.

The first warm episode of this summer, due in part to the arrival of an air mass from North Africa, will bring more than 40 degrees during the day and 20 degrees at night in various areas of Spain until at least Wednesday of next week , as well as many hours of sunshine and an almost total absence of rain.

The most affected area will be the southwestern quadrant and the center of the peninsula, with maximum temperatures that probably exceed 38 degrees. In addition, 40 to 42 degrees are expected in areas of the Guadalquivir and Guadiana valleys.

This Friday it could be 40 degrees at some point in the Guadalquivir valley. On Saturday, 42 are expected in Córdoba and Seville, and 41 in Badajoz. And on Sunday there will be 43 in Córdoba and Seville, 42 in Badajoz and 40 in Ciudad Real. Between Monday and Wednesday of next week there will be at least 40 degrees in capitals such as Badajoz, Ciudad Real, Córdoba, Jaén, Seville and Toledo, with 44 in the Cordovan capital on Tuesday and Wednesday as the epicenter of intense heat in Spain.

On the other hand, night temperatures will also be very high, with tropical nights above 20 to 22 degrees in the southwest quadrant of the peninsula, the Mediterranean coast and the Balearic Islands. This scenario will be repeated in the first days of next week. The high temperatures will spread to the rest of the Peninsula and the Balearic Islands, but in a more moderate way. The peak period of the episode will last until the middle of next week in the southwest quadrant of the peninsula. As of Thursday, there could be a general drop in temperatures, which would once again reach values ??typical of the end of June.