Meteorologists in Spain have confirmed the country's highest daily temperature since the start of the year after the mercury reached 45.7 degrees Celsius.
This extreme heat was recorded on Thursday in the town of El Granado in southern Andalusia, on the border with Portugal, the state meteorological service AEMET announced on X on Friday.
This also broke the previous record for a day in September, set in 2016 in the town of Montoro, also in Andalusia. The figures are still provisional.
It is set to remain far too hot for a September, with temperatures around 40 degrees, over the weekend and into next week - particularly in the valleys of the River Ebro and in the south.
Even on the holiday island of Mallorca, temperatures of up to 36 degrees cannot be ruled out at the start of the week. Experts believe that man-made climate change is contributing to heatwaves becoming more intense, longer and more frequent.
This year, AEMET recorded a total of four heatwaves in Spain, all occurring since June. The service only classifies a heatwave as such if a period of hot weather lasts for at least three days, is not confined to a local area, and temperatures are significantly above the normal average.
The heat was oppressive in Spain for almost the entire summer, with the so-called 'tropical nights' - featuring temperatures of up to 30 degrees - proving particularly troublesome for people.
Often, even a dip in the Mediterranean failed to feel refreshing. Off the coast of Mallorca, a record water temperature of over 33 degrees was recorded in August.