A lot of people across Spain are looking outside right now and thinking the same thing : It feels like July arrived a month early.

The heat has become intense surprisingly fast, terraces are already packed in many cities and temperatures in some areas are moving dangerously close to 40C even though summer has not officially started yet.

But meteorologists are now warning that the real danger this week may not actually come from the heat alone. Because while Spain bakes under unusually high temperatures, the atmosphere is also becoming increasingly unstable and that combination is creating the risk of violent dry storms capable of producing lightning, giant hail and sudden destructive wind bursts.

And what makes these storms particularly dangerous is how fast they can develop.

In some places, skies may stay bright and calm for most of the day before conditions suddenly turn aggressive within less than an hour.

AEMET has already activated warnings across multiple regions as forecasters monitor what could become one of the most unstable weather setups Spain has seen so far this year.

Why meteorologists are becoming increasingly worried about these storms

Normally when people hear the word storm, they imagine heavy rain first. But this situation is different.

According to weather experts, some of the strongest storm cells expected this week may actually produce very little rainfall while still generating dangerous conditions on the ground. That is why forecasters keep talking about ‘dry storms’.

The main risks come from lightning activity, hail and powerful downdrafts of wind known in Spain as ‘reventones’.

And honestly, these wind bursts can become extremely nasty very quickly.

They can suddenly hit with enough force to bring down branches, damage terraces, move outdoor furniture and create dangerous driving conditions within minutes.

Meteorologists say gusts could exceed 70 or even 80 kilometres per hour in some areas, particularly across inland northern Spain.

The unstable conditions are developing because extremely warm air near the surface is colliding with disturbances arriving higher up in the atmosphere.

Once temperatures climb during the afternoon, clouds can suddenly grow very aggressively. And after several days of heat building up across the country, the atmosphere now contains enough energy for storms to intensify rapidly.

That is exactly why forecasters are watching the situation so closely.

These parts of Spain are facing the highest risk this week

Northern Spain currently appears most exposed to the strongest instability. The Basque Country is under particular attention after AEMET issued an orange alert for Vizcaya where temperatures could approach 37C in lower inland areas.

Across the rest of the region, yellow alerts remain active as temperatures continue climbing well above what would normally be expected for late May. Asturias and Cantabria are also facing a complicated mix of heat and storms.

Both regions are under warnings for high temperatures alongside the possibility of hail, isolated downpours and violent gusts later in the day.

Galicia is dealing with a similar pattern.

In Ourense, temperatures may rise towards 36C while storm warnings remain active across parts of inland Galicia including Lugo.

Further inland, conditions remain unstable across Castilla y León where provinces such as León, Palencia and Zamora are also being monitored closely for hail and strong winds.

And according to European forecasting models, some hailstones in these areas could exceed two centimetres in diameter.

That may not sound enormous at first, until you remember what hail of that size can actually do.

Car windscreens crack, terrace umbrellas collapse, crops can be destroyed in minutes and people caught outside without shelter can easily get injured.

Elsewhere, the heat itself continues becoming a major issue.

Extremadura could see temperatures reaching 38C while parts of Aragón, Catalonia, Navarra and La Rioja also remain under heat alerts.

Meanwhile in Cádiz province, strong Levante winds continue creating difficult coastal conditions near the Strait.

Spain’s weather could become even more unstable by the weekend

What is making meteorologists cautious is that this situation may not end quickly.

Thursday, May 28,  is expected to bring another similar afternoon pattern with storms developing again in several northern and inland regions, although current forecasts suggest slightly lower intensity compared with Wednesday.

Still, weather experts are warning people not to relax too much. Because the heat itself is not going anywhere for now.

Minimum nighttime temperatures are also expected to rise over the coming days, meaning many areas may struggle to cool down properly overnight.

And looking ahead towards Friday and the weekend, forecasters are already monitoring another disturbance approaching the Iberian Peninsula.

That could trigger a new escalation in storm activity just as the current heat episode continues building. Some models even suggest storms later this week could become more organised and severe in certain areas.

For many people across Spain, the strange part is how deceptive the weather still looks beforehand.

The day often begins completely normally : Blue skies and strong sunshine.

People sitting outside having coffee. Then suddenly the atmosphere shifts. Clouds rapidly build over the mountains, the wind changes, the sky darkens and within minutes, conditions can become genuinely dangerous.

Which is exactly why meteorologists keep insisting people should pay close attention to official warnings over the next few days. Because this week’s weather is not behaving like a normal late spring pattern anymore.

It already feels much closer to the kind of volatile heat Spain usually sees much deeper into summer.

Spain’s government has sent a new law to Congress aimed at banning fake sexual images created using artificial intelligence after growing concern that people could be exposed online abuse, harassment and the spread of manipulated content including those of women and children.

The government says the measures are designed to protect individuals from having their images turned into explicit material without consent, a problem that has raised particular concern among parents, schools and child protection groups.

The legislation would introduce some of the toughest penalties yet seen in Spain for the creation and distribution of sexual “deepfakes”, including fines of up to 35 million euros or 7% of a company’s global annual turnover in the most serious cases. The move follows increasing concern across Europe over the rise of digitally manipulated images and videos that can place a person’s face onto explicit content without their consent.

Focus on protecting victims from fake sexual content

The proposed law is to address fears that ordinary people, including teenagers and children, can be targeted using publicly available photographs taken from social media accounts or messaging platforms. In recent years, cases involving fake nude images of schoolgirls and women have attracted national attention in Spain, raising concerns about how quickly manipulated material can spread online and the emotional impact it can have on victims.

Under the proposed legislation, creating or sharing sexually explicit fake images without consent would face tighter legal restrictions. The measures are intended to protect people from having fabricated intimate material circulated online using their likeness. The legislation also includes measures targeting artificially generated child sexual abuse material and other forms of harmful digital impersonation.

Concerns over the impact on young people

The issue has become particularly sensitive following several investigations involving minors. Spanish authorities and campaign groups have warned that young people are especially vulnerable because photographs posted online can be copied and altered without permission.

Parents’ associations and child protection groups have repeatedly called for stronger safeguards after incidents involving school-age victims caused public concern in different parts of the country. The government argues that existing legislation has struggled to keep pace with the speed at which manipulated images can now be produced and shared.

New penalties and restrictions proposed

The bill approved by the Council of Ministers would create new penalties for companies and platforms that fail to comply with rules surrounding prohibited content. In the most serious cases, sanctions could reach 35 million euros or 7% of annual global turnover.

Spain’s Digital Transformation Minister Óscar López said the law is intended to protect citizens from harmful uses of technology and strengthen safeguards against abuse. Alongside restrictions on fake sexual content, the legislation would also prohibit certain forms of biometric categorisation and systems considered harmful to privacy or individual rights.

Mandatory labelling of altered content

The proposed law would require AI-generated material to be clearly identified in some situations so that users know when images, audio or video have been artificially altered or created.

Spanish officials say the aim is to reduce deception online and prevent manipulated material being mistaken for real content. The measures form part of Spain’s adaptation of wider European Union rules on artificial intelligence and digital safety.

Cases involving fake images have increased concern

Public debate around manipulated sexual images intensified after several high-profile cases involving teenagers emerged in Spain over the past two years. Some incidents involved fake nude images of minors created from ordinary photographs shared online.

Although the pictures were fabricated, families and campaigners warned that the damage caused to victims could still be severe. Experts working in child safety and digital rights have warned that the spread of manipulated intimate content can lead to humiliation, bullying and psychological distress, particularly among younger victims.

Law still faces parliamentary approval

The legislation must now pass through Spain’s parliamentary process before becoming law. Congress will debate the proposals and may introduce amendments before a final vote takes place. If approved, Spain would become one of the European countries with the strongest financial penalties linked to the creation and spread of fake sexual material generated using artificial intelligence.

The government says the legislation is intended to respond to growing public anxiety over how easily manipulated intimate content can now be produced and shared online. For many families, the debate centres on a simple concern: whether an ordinary photograph uploaded to the internet could be turned into fake explicit material without permission, and what legal protections exist if that happens.