The heatwave, which has 25 Spanish provinces on orange alert today, will be especially intense over central areas, pushing the mercury up to 41ºC in Ciudad Real, Toledo, Zaragoza and Ávila.

This latest heatwave, which began yesterday and is expected to last for a week, will ease off slightly tomorrow, with only six provinces (Lleida, Tarragona, Huesca, Zaragoza, Navarra and Córdoba) on orange alert.

Aragón will see some of the highest temperatures today, with all three of its provinces on alert, but particularly brutal temperatures expected in Zaragoza, where the mercury is expected to go over the 41ºC mark.

Four of the five provinces in Castilla-La Mancha are on orange alert. Toledo will see highs of 41ºC, as will the Valle del Guadiana in Ciudad Real. Temperatures over 39ºC will be seen in Cuenca.

Castilla y León is on orange alert, whilst Palencia, Salamanca, Segovia, Soria, Valladolid and Zamora are all on yellow alert.

The mercury will be rising all over the country, with temperatures in excess of 39ºC are expected in the Madrid metropolitan area, along the Ebro riviera and in Pyrenees in Navarra.

The Basque Country and Extremadura will not escape the heatwave either, with highs of 39ºC across both regions.

In Catalunya, Lleida and Tarragona are both on orange alert with the mercury expected to hit 39ºC; Barcelona and Girona are on yellow alert.

In southern and inland areas of the Valencian Community, highs of 39ºC will be seen, but the heatwave will be somewhat gentler along the Mediterranean coast, although Murcia is on orange alert with highs of 39ºC in north eastern areas like Lorca, Águilas and the Valle del Guadalentín.

Southern Mallorca is on orange alert for temperatures in excess of 37ºC, with the rest of the Balearic Islands on yellow alert.

Lastly, in Andalusía the mercury will climb as high as 40ºC in Córdoba, Seville and Jaén.

(Picture: Playa de la Concha, San Sebastián)