The heat index in Sa Pobla reached 51.1º this Tuesday, according to Aemet. The maximum was 36.9º with 60% humidity. Mallorca is experiencing its third heatwave of the year.
The thermometer did not register extreme figures, but the body felt it. The heat index in Sa Pobla reached 51.1 degrees this past Tuesday, according to data provided by the deputy spokesperson of the territorial delegation of the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) in the Balearics, Jorge Rodríguez. The actual maximum temperature was 36.9 degrees, but the relative humidity of 60% pushed the perception of heat to suffocating levels.
This was not an isolated case. In Campos, the heat index also rose to 48 degrees, with a maximum of 39.2 degrees and similarly high humidity. Mallorca has been immersed in its third heatwave of the year since July 18, although Aemet predicts it will end this Friday, July 24.
The episode of extreme heat has already left historical records. The early hours of July 20 were the hottest in Palma since records began: the minimum temperature in Portopí did not drop below 27.7 degrees and humidity exceeded 90%. The usual temperature for this time of year is 23 degrees. Experts warn that these conditions make it difficult to sleep.
When asked if Mallorca could reach maximum temperatures of 50 degrees, the delegate and spokesperson of Aemet in the Balearics, María José Guerrero, stated that "it is difficult, what can reach is the heat index." For his part, the former Aemet delegate in the Balearics, Agustín Jansà, went further: "Mallorca could reach 50 degrees, in a singular episode at some point, in 20 or 40 years; unless there is a significant reduction in emissions."
Jansà reminded that the absolute temperature record in Mallorca is 44.6 degrees recorded in Sa Pobla on July 18, 2023. In his opinion, "if the average temperature continues to rise, and it will overall unless the concentration of greenhouse gases stabilizes, the probability of extreme heat increases and will do so at a faster rate than the increase in averages."
Some experts are already using the term "chronic heat." Dominic Royé, Ramón y Cajal researcher at the MBG of CSIC, describes it as a reality in which "not only do heatwaves increase, but also days and nights with very high temperatures. Heat ceases to be a sporadic episode and extends over a good part of the summer."
For the residents of Sa Pobla and the rest of the island, the authorities' recommendation is clear: stay hydrated constantly, avoid sun exposure during the hottest hours of the day, and pay special attention to the elderly and children. The heatwave will ease starting Friday, when a thermal drop is expected to provide relief after a week of extreme temperatures.
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