Deep-freeze across Spain sees thermometers plummet to -8ºC inland and 1ºC on the Mediterranean coast

Overnight, the mercury plunged to -5ºC in Madrid, -2ºC in Granada and, in what are normally the warmest parts of the mainland, as low as 1ºC. Córdoba, which reaches 50ºC in the shade in July and August, registered -1ºC on the thermometers this morning (Saturday) and is expected to see a repeat performance until Monday or Tuesday overnight.

The provinces of Valencia, Murcia and Alicante, which until recently were drenched in sunlight with midday temperatures rising to the mid-20s, are teetering on the edge of freezing this weekend with lows of 2ºC and 1ºC respectively.

Even Gijón (Asturias) in the far north, known for its Atlantic winds and exceptionally chilly winters, exceeded Mediterranean temperatures on Friday night and Saturday morning at 3ºC – the same as Sevilla in the far south, which again is known for its scorching summers with regular temperatures of 40-50ºC in the shade, and the region's other major city, Oviedo, plus Barcelona in the north-east of Spain, matched Murcia's and Valencia's readings of 2ºC.

Bilbao and Vigo, which also have some of the coldest winters and coolest summers on the mainland reached a comparatively 'warm' 5ºC, the same as Málaga on the south coast, whilst Zaragoza sat at 4ºC – again, higher than traditionally hotter areas of Spain such as the east and south-east.

A Coruña, surprisingly, was the warmest part of Spain on Friday night and Saturday morning – although the Galicia region's Atlantic winds and icy winter climates mean residents are frequently under extra blankets at times of the year when those in the south-east are still in T-shirts, its overnight temperatures are not expected to fall below 9ºC this week, warmer than many other regions in the daytime.

In the north and inland, daytime temperatures between now and around Tuesday – and again from Thursday over to next weekend – are expected to continue hovering between 8ºC and 14ºC, averaging at 10ºC to 11ºC in most places.

But the regions of Valencia, Andalucía and Murcia could see midday figures shooting up to as much as 17ºC or even 18ºC in Málaga. However, highs are likely to be short-lived and not bring much relief from the deep freeze, since they are only forecast for, at the most, an hour or two in the middle of the day.

Over the next two to three days, thermometers could plummet to -8ºC or even less in central provinces such as Guadalajara and Ávila, and Alicante and Lleida are on 'orange alert' – denoting high risk – for snow, which is forecast to reach between four and eight inches (10-20cm).

Valencia, Huesca, Burgos, Soria, and the regions of Navarra and La Rioja are on 'yellow alert' for snow, meaning its appearance is extremely likely but few problems are expected as a result. Snow is predicted to continue to fall in areas of 700 metres or more above sea-level, and the few ski stations which did not open last weekend are expected to do so today, starting their season a week earlier than usual.

Frost and ice right across the central belt of the mainland from north to south is highly probable between now and around Monday or Tuesday, and gale-force winds of up to 100 kilometres per hour (60mph) are forecast in the Balearic Islands, eastern Aragón, Girona, the Pyrénées and Ebro Valley in the north-east for today and Sunday.

Heavy rain, which hit Valencia and Alicante on Thursday out of the blue is likely to come back later today or on Sunday, and also strike in Murcia, Galicia, Cantabria, Asturias, La Rioja, Navarra, the Balearic Islands and the east of Castilla y León.