A dramatic warm downburst struck Mazarrón on Spain’s southeastern coast on August 15, producing an abrupt surge in temperature, sharply falling humidity and powerful winds within minutes.
Footage from the coastal area showed what had been relatively calm beach conditions suddenly transformed by strong gusts, blowing sand across the shoreline and sending umbrellas airborne. Local meteorological observers identified the phenomenon as a reventón cálido, or warm downburst.
⚠️ Aviso por Reventones térmicos.
— AMETSE (@MeteoSE) August 15, 2026
En los últimos minutos nos están reportando la presencia de reventores cálidos en el sur de la R. de Murcia y zonas de el Levante almeriense. Algunas estaciones también los están detectando como la de Puerto Lumbreras.https://t.co/WOb47CPNDT pic.twitter.com/zH6cUox7b9
Data from Spain’s national weather agency, AEMET, captured a particularly clear meteorological signature.
At 13:00 local time, Mazarrón was at 37.3°C (99.1°F), with relative humidity at 39% and winds coming from the south. One hour later, the wind had abruptly shifted to the northwest, the temperature had climbed to 39.4°C (102.9°F) and humidity had fallen to just 23%.
By 15:00, the temperature reached 41.5°C (106.7°F) while humidity dropped further to 21%. AEMET recorded no rainfall at the station during the event.
Wind gusts reached 59 km/h
The strongest gust recorded at the Mazarrón station reached 59 km/h (37 mph) at around 15:30.
By 16:00, the temperature had fallen back to 35.8°C (96.4°F), while northwest winds remained strong. That rapid rise and subsequent fall in temperature, accompanied by a sharp humidity drop and sudden wind shift, is characteristic of a warm or dry downburst.
¡Menudo cambio en un instante! Esta tarde (15/08/2026), #ReventónCálido en #Mazarrón (#Murcia). De estar a gusto y con tranquilidad en la playa a salir las sombrillas volando y levantarse arena con una súbita y repentina aceleración del viento. Vídeo: @avilesero. pic.twitter.com/fq660FMEEI
— MeteOrihuela (@MeteOrihuela) August 15, 2026
The event occurred during a broader afternoon of atmospheric instability across the Region of Murcia.
AEMET had yellow-level warnings in force for thunderstorms across several inland parts of the region, including the Altiplano, Noroeste, Vega del Segura and the Guadalentín Valley. Storms were capable of producing very strong wind gusts, hail and rainfall rates of up to 25 mm (1 inch) per hour. Mazarrón itself was also under a heat warning, with a forecast high around 36°C (97°F).
Onda Regional reported that the sudden wind event surprised beachgoers in Mazarrón as temperatures exceeded 40°C.
What is a warm downburst?
A downburst begins when air inside or beneath a thunderstorm descends rapidly toward the ground.
In a dry environment, much of the falling rain can evaporate before reaching the surface. Once the descending air continues into the lower atmosphere, compression can cause it to warm rapidly.
When that air reaches the ground, it spreads outward as a sudden blast of strong, hot and unusually dry wind.
This distinguishes a warm downburst from the more familiar cool outflow produced by many thunderstorms, where temperatures normally fall as the gust front arrives.
The Mazarrón event provides an unusually clear example. Within roughly two hours, winds shifted dramatically, humidity almost halved and temperatures jumped more than 4°C (7°F), before dropping again as the downburst passed.
Such events can develop and dissipate very quickly, making them particularly hazardous on beaches, at outdoor events and anywhere loose objects can suddenly become airborne.
