The Spaniards on Monday used every means possible, from electric fans and air conditioners to swimming pools, to beat an early heat wave that the country hadn’t experienced at this time of year in more than 40 years.

Experts from the Spanish Meteorological Office said a cloud of hot air from North Africa has caused temperatures to rise and that the heat wave could continue in most parts of Spain until June 16 or 17, days before the official start of summer on June 21. .

With temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius in parts of central and southern Spain, the current heat wave is the first early wave on record since 1981, according to the State Meteorological Office.

The bureau issued a warning that the heat sensation could worsen throughout the country due to the presence of sand and dust in the air from the Sahara desert.

Temperatures in popular tourist destinations such as Seville and Cordoba are expected to hit 43 degrees Celsius in the coming days. The temperature in both of them usually reaches 40 degrees during the summer months. On Monday, the temperature in the capital Madrid reached 41 degrees Celsius.

Last year was marked by abnormal temperatures in Spain: the Philomena snowstorm paralyzed the country in January, temperatures dropped to minus 21, and a record heat wave in August.