Third-warmest Summer Since 1961: Balearic Islands Record Unusually Many Tropical Nights

Summer 2025 is among the hottest in decades: two heat waves, a record number of tropical nights—and now storms with orange warnings threaten. Here’s what you should know.

A summer that lingers long

It was one of those summers you still mention in autumn at the bakery or at the bus stop: hot, dry, and evenings with hardly any cooling. The Spanish weather service Aemet classifies the past months on the Balearic Islands as the third-warmest summer since 1961. Especially notable: never before have so many tropical nights been recorded here — nights when the thermometer does not drop below 20 °C.

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What this means for Mallorca

On Mallorca there were, according to observations, two pronounced heat waves. I met a jogger on the Paseo Marítimo in early August who said: \"At 6 a.m. it's humid as in a tropical greenhouse.\" Such impressions are not unique. Many plants on balconies look exhausted, and at lively beaches like Illetes the air remained warm and still in the evening — no classic sea breeze for cooling.

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The September continued the trend: unusually dry and warm for the season. This fits the picture of a series of hot years that bring us such extremes more often. Anyone who remembers fresh September evenings misses them currently.

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But caution: thunderstorms are on the doorstep

As much as we've enjoyed the last warm days — Aemet now warns of a clear weather change. For the coming night and the next day, sometimes intense thunderstorms and heavy rain are expected. Already issued severe weather warnings are set to Orange. That means: extra caution while driving, possible short-term flooding in low-lying streets and landslides in the mountains.

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A friend who lives in Sóller has already secured balcony flowers and checked the skylights. Small preparations like these save trouble when suddenly a strong downpour cell moves through.

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Practical tips for the next 48 hours

If you plan to be out in the evenings: check a current forecast, do not park vehicles in depressions and avoid known river routes after heavy rain. For pedestrians: sturdy footwear and a rain jacket are not a bad idea. And yes, even in cafés on Plaça some hosts now advise placing orders indoors during thunderstorms.

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All in all this summer shows once again how variable our weather here is: long heat spells, but also sudden, strong thunderstorms. Stay alert and adapt — that is probably the best strategy at the moment.

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I keep an eye out and will report if there are new indications or local closures.