BRITISH holidaymakers have been warned of a "Level 1 heat alert" across Spain as sweltering 42C weather is on its way.
The first sizzling heatwave of the summer will hit popular resorts such as Benidorm and the islands of Majorca, Menorca and Ibiza, according to Spain's meteorological agency AEMET.
On Saturday, temperatures are expected to reach between 38C and 40C - but the sweltering heat wave will continue upwards in the following days.
By Tuesday, AEMET expects a peak of 42C, which will feel even hotter owing to high humidity.
The hardest hit areas will be the Balearic Islands - Majorca, Menorca, Ibiza, Formentera and Cabrera.
At this time of year on the islands, Brits are usually tanning themselves in balmy temperatures around 30C.
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“We are currently recording temperatures slightly above normal, one or two degrees above normal,” María José Guerrero, a spokesperson for AEMET told Majorca Daily.
Spain has had a warmer than average spring and summer so far, and holidaymakers were warned in June of an "extremely hot" time ahead.
AEMET predicted a "high probability" that the country will experience a summer that is hotter than normal.
The heat has already been building in Spain after the country registered its hottest spring on record as well as its second driest.
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AEMET's Rubén Del Campo said June's data showed a continuation of the extremely high temperatures of last year.
He added: "We are already getting used to records. March and April were very warm, and May was normal.
"This year is the second warmest spring in the historical series. Surface water temperatures recorded in 2022 were the highest since at least 1940."
Last year was Spain's hottest since records began in 1961, and three intense summer heatwaves spanned 41 days - the most ever.
Temperatures reached a record high of 47.6C in the southern city of Cordoba on August 3.
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