It’s Becoming Too Hot to Sit Outside in Spain

Marbella, Spain. Credit: Photo by Daniel Nouri, Pexels

Europe’s summers are getting hotter – and the way people live, work, and holiday in southern Europe is changing as a result. Spain’s outdoor lifestyle, terrace dining, evening social culture, and coastal tourism is becoming increasingly affected by extreme heat.  

In many Spanish heatwave events, temperatures in affected regions regularly exceed 35°C to 45°C during peak afternoon hours, with southern inland areas often experiencing the highest extremes. At these temperatures, being outside for extended periods becomes a genuine health risk – for tourists, workers, and older adults especially.  

In response, Spain now requires bars and restaurants to close outdoor terraces during official heatwave alerts.

For a country built around outdoor dining, terrace culture, and coastal tourism – and one that welcomed 97 million tourists in 2025 – this is a significant shift. 

Tourists from the United Kingdom, France, and Germany (~43 million tourists) represent a large share of summer tourism demand, meaning heat-related disruptions now affect millions of holiday experiences each year. 

Key Developments 

• In 2025 summer, the highest single-day temperature of 45.8C was recorded in Jerez de la Frontera, southern Spain, on 17 August during a heatwave. 

• Spain mandates closure of outdoor terraces during heatwave alerts  

• Tourism forms approximately 13% of Spain’s economy, new heatwave related closure rule might lead to economic losses. 

• UK, France, and Germany are the largest source markets for summer tourism  

• World Meteorological Organisation confirms Europe is the fastest-warming continent (2025 assessment). 

• Mediterranean heatwaves are becoming longer, more intense, and more frequent  

Climate Change Context 

Europe’s rising heat extremes are linked to global warming and to changes in large-scale wind patterns in the atmosphere – changes that are being driven in part by rapid warming in the Arctic. 

One key mechanism involves the jet stream – a band of fast-moving wind high in the atmosphere that normally moves weather systems across Europe. As the Arctic warms, the temperature difference between the Arctic and southern Europe shrinks. This weakens the jet stream, causing it to slow down and become “wavy”. When that happens, weather systems get stuck in place for longer – including intense heat over southern Europe. 

This can lead to a heat dome effect – where a high-pressure system traps warm air over a region for days or weeks at a time, with no cooler air able to get in. This means extreme heat comes to you in waves of days or weeks at a stretch.  

Arctic warming doesn’t directly create heat domes, but it makes the atmospheric conditions that produce them more likely.  

Lifestyle and Health Implications 

• Spain receives around 97 million international tourists each year. The UK alone sends approximately 19 million visitors, Germany and France around 12 million each. Heatwave disruptions in Spain directly affect millions of British, French, and German holiday experiences every summer – and the Spanish workers and businesses that depend on them 
• Increased risk of heat stress, dehydration, and cardiovascular strain, especially for older tourists and outdoor workers during peak summer conditions 
• Rising pressure on health systems and emergency services in peak tourist regions during heatwave periods 

What You Can Do

• Check heat alerts before you travel – most European meteorological services and the Spanish national weather agency publish daily updates
• Avoid being outside during peak afternoon hours, typically between 12pm and 5pm, during heatwaves
• Know the signs of heat stress – dizziness, nausea, rapid heartbeat – for yourself and the people you’re travelling with
• Choose accommodation with adequate cooling, especially if travelling with older adults or young children
• Travel in May, June, or September – when temperatures are lower and crowds are smaller

What Needs To Change Systemically

• Integrate heat risk alerts into travel advisories and booking platforms 
• Scale up urban heat adaptation in major tourist cities 
• Accelerate deep emissions reductions and climate mitigation actions to limit further long-term intensification of extreme heat 

Read more about extreme weather here. 

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