If you are still dressing for summer in mid-October, you are not alone. Spain is enjoying temperatures more typical of the warmer months, with parts of Andalucía approaching 35°C. But while the heat is set to continue through Friday, the southeast could see heavy showers before a possible DANA brings a much sharper drop in temperatures over the weekend.

Wednesday, October 14, through Friday, October 16, will bring another stretch of unusually warm weather across much of the country. Madrid, Málaga, Murcia and Alicante will all remain warm, although the risk of rain will vary considerably by region. The north is expected to begin cooling first, while southern Spain holds on to the heat.

Wednesday brings more summer-like temperatures

Wednesday is expected to remain warm across much of Spain, with sunshine and temperatures well above average for mid-October. Madrid could reach around 27°C, while Málaga is expected to see highs in the upper 20s. Murcia and Alicante will also remain warm, with temperatures around the high 20s, although coastal cloud and showers could affect parts of the southeastern Mediterranean.

In Andalucía, the heat will be particularly noticeable inland. Sevilla and parts of the Guadalquivir valley could reach around 32°C to 34°C, while coastal areas such as Cádiz and Málaga should be a little cooler. Most of the country should remain dry, but the southeast is an exception. Showers could develop along parts of the Murcia and Almería coasts, with some locally heavy downpours possible. Anyone travelling along the Mediterranean coast should check the latest local forecast before setting off.

Thursday stays hot, but showers threaten the southeast

Thursday, October 15, should bring another day of summer-like temperatures across much of Spain. The mercury could approach 30°C in parts of Galicia and the Cantabrian coast, while Huelva and Sevilla may exceed 32°C.

Málaga should remain warm, with daytime temperatures in the upper 20s. Murcia and Alicante will also see high temperatures, but the risk of rain will be more significant in parts of the southeast, particularly along the coast. AEMET has warned that showers could become locally heavy around Murcia and Almería, with isolated rain possible elsewhere in southern Andalucía.

For anyone hoping for a proper autumn feel, Thursday is unlikely to deliver it across most of the country. However, the combination of warm air and developing instability could make conditions change quickly in areas affected by showers.

Friday brings the first signs of a change

Friday, October 16, should remain warm across central and southern Spain, but the north is expected to begin cooling as a weather front approaches. Temperatures could fall noticeably in Galicia and along the Cantabrian coast, with rain forecast in the Cantabrian region and the Pyrenees. Elsewhere across the northern third of the mainland, isolated showers are possible.

Andalucía is expected to hold on to the warmth, with Huelva and Sevilla potentially remaining above 32°C. Málaga should also stay warm, while Murcia and Alicante could continue to see high temperatures, although local showers remain possible. In the Canary Islands, temperatures are expected to change little, with coastal areas likely to remain above 25°C during the day.

A sharp temperature drop could follow at the weekend

The bigger change is expected after Friday, when a possible DANA could bring a substantial drop in temperatures and more unsettled conditions. In central Spain, daytime highs could fall from around 27°C on Friday to 23°C or 24°C on Saturday, then to around 19°C or 20°C on Sunday. Parts of the north could feel much colder, with highs of only around 12°C in cities including Ávila, Burgos, León and Soria.

The system could also increase the risk of heavy showers around the Mediterranean coast and the Balearic Islands, particularly from Sunday. The exact timing and location of the worst conditions remain uncertain. For now, much of Spain has a few more days of warmth ahead. But anyone planning to be outdoors this weekend should keep an eye on our upcoming forecasts, particularly along the Mediterranean coast, where the change could bring both rain and a sharp fall in temperatures.

When you run a business on your own, a quiet month does not mean the bills stop arriving. Rent, supplies, tax paperwork and social security contributions still need paying, even when customers are thin on the ground. For people starting out, those fixed costs can make the difference between getting a business off the ground and deciding it simply is not worth the risk.

Now, Spain’s main self-employed workers’ association wants political parties to consider a package of changes that would cut some of those costs, reduce paperwork and improve protection when business owners become ill or can no longer work.

The National Federation of Associations of Self-Employed Workers (ATA), led by Lorenzo Amor, has sent parties a list of 10 proposals ahead of Spain’s elections on 29 November. The organisation says the changes are needed because 63.2 per cent of self-employed workers earn less than the national minimum wage. 

New autónomos could pay no social security for two years

One of the central proposals is a zero-euro social security contribution for the first two years of self-employment. ATA wants the exemption extended to three years for people under 30, women starting a business after maternity, and workers whose earnings fall below the minimum wage. Students under 30 who run a business while completing formal education or vocational training would pay a proposed €30 a month throughout their course.

For established autónomos earning below the minimum wage, ATA also wants contribution reductions over two years. Depending on income, the proposed discounts would range from 15 to 75 per cent, funded through the state budget. 

VAT exemption for businesses earning under €85,000

Small businesses could also see a change to how they charge and declare VAT. ATA wants workers with annual turnover below €85,000 to be able to opt out of charging VAT to customers, alongside replacing quarterly VAT returns with a single annual declaration.

The proposal would bring Spain closer to the arrangements available to small businesses in several other EU countries. A separate proposal would allow businesses with cross-border transactions to qualify for the VAT scheme up to a turnover of €100,000. ATA is also calling for changes to deductible business expenses, including allowing 50 per cent of certain vehicle, utility and meal costs to be deducted for income tax and VAT purposes without having to justify each expense individually. 

More support during illness, maternity and business closures

The proposals go beyond tax and contributions. ATA wants self-employed workers to have better access to support when their income collapses or they have to close a business.

It proposes easing the conditions for receiving the cessation-of-activity benefit when income falls, and making the benefit automatic in certain permanent closures. It also wants the unemployment subsidy available to people over 52 extended to autónomos who have exhausted their cessation-of-activity payments.

For pregnancy and childcare, the organisation is calling for subsidised cover so a replacement can be hired and trained before a worker takes maternity leave. It also wants two extra weeks of leave for breastfeeding, more flexible maternity leave and greater flexibility for returning to work after the initial period of leave. Self-employed people caring for a seriously ill or disabled family member could also receive a full contribution discount, up from the current 75 per cent, under the plan. 

Changes to contributions and retirement

ATA wants planned increases in self-employed contributions frozen until 2030, with contribution bases set annually through the state budget process. It is also seeking changes to the rules for active retirement, which allows people to keep working while receiving part of their pension.

Under its proposal, autónomos without employees would gradually receive a larger share of their pension while working, reaching 100 per cent in the fourth year. Those with at least one employee, partner or collaborator would be able to receive the full pension from the first day. Other requests include improved pension-plan tax deductions, incentives for hiring younger workers and a simpler route out of debt for people whose businesses fail.

The package also calls for less administrative red tape, including a single online portal for business owners, a first-warning approach to certain mistakes before financial penalties are imposed, and fewer official notifications outside normal working hours.  The proposals would affect costs, tax obligations and social protection for autónomos across Spain. Their impact will depend on which measures, if any, political parties choose to adopt.

When you run a business on your own, a quiet month does not mean the bills stop arriving. Rent, supplies, tax paperwork and social security contributions still need paying, even when customers are thin on the ground. For people starting out, those fixed costs can make the difference between getting a business off the ground and deciding it simply is not worth the risk.

Now, Spain’s main self-employed workers’ association wants political parties to consider a package of changes that would cut some of those costs, reduce paperwork and improve protection when business owners become ill or can no longer work.

The National Federation of Associations of Self-Employed Workers (ATA), led by Lorenzo Amor, has sent parties a list of 10 proposals ahead of Spain’s elections on 29 November. The organisation says the changes are needed because 63.2 per cent of self-employed workers earn less than the national minimum wage. 

New autónomos could pay no social security for two years

One of the central proposals is a zero-euro social security contribution for the first two years of self-employment. ATA wants the exemption extended to three years for people under 30, women starting a business after maternity, and workers whose earnings fall below the minimum wage. Students under 30 who run a business while completing formal education or vocational training would pay a proposed €30 a month throughout their course.

For established autónomos earning below the minimum wage, ATA also wants contribution reductions over two years. Depending on income, the proposed discounts would range from 15 to 75 per cent, funded through the state budget. 

VAT exemption for businesses earning under €85,000

Small businesses could also see a change to how they charge and declare VAT. ATA wants workers with annual turnover below €85,000 to be able to opt out of charging VAT to customers, alongside replacing quarterly VAT returns with a single annual declaration.

The proposal would bring Spain closer to the arrangements available to small businesses in several other EU countries. A separate proposal would allow businesses with cross-border transactions to qualify for the VAT scheme up to a turnover of €100,000. ATA is also calling for changes to deductible business expenses, including allowing 50 per cent of certain vehicle, utility and meal costs to be deducted for income tax and VAT purposes without having to justify each expense individually. 

More support during illness, maternity and business closures

The proposals go beyond tax and contributions. ATA wants self-employed workers to have better access to support when their income collapses or they have to close a business.

It proposes easing the conditions for receiving the cessation-of-activity benefit when income falls, and making the benefit automatic in certain permanent closures. It also wants the unemployment subsidy available to people over 52 extended to autónomos who have exhausted their cessation-of-activity payments.

For pregnancy and childcare, the organisation is calling for subsidised cover so a replacement can be hired and trained before a worker takes maternity leave. It also wants two extra weeks of leave for breastfeeding, more flexible maternity leave and greater flexibility for returning to work after the initial period of leave. Self-employed people caring for a seriously ill or disabled family member could also receive a full contribution discount, up from the current 75 per cent, under the plan. 

Changes to contributions and retirement

ATA wants planned increases in self-employed contributions frozen until 2030, with contribution bases set annually through the state budget process. It is also seeking changes to the rules for active retirement, which allows people to keep working while receiving part of their pension.

Under its proposal, autónomos without employees would gradually receive a larger share of their pension while working, reaching 100 per cent in the fourth year. Those with at least one employee, partner or collaborator would be able to receive the full pension from the first day. Other requests include improved pension-plan tax deductions, incentives for hiring younger workers and a simpler route out of debt for people whose businesses fail.

The package also calls for less administrative red tape, including a single online portal for business owners, a first-warning approach to certain mistakes before financial penalties are imposed, and fewer official notifications outside normal working hours.  The proposals would affect costs, tax obligations and social protection for autónomos across Spain. Their impact will depend on which measures, if any, political parties choose to adopt.