Crisis in Spain as weather becomes ‘too hot to sit outside’

New rules have been put in place in Spain as the country’s summers are getting hotter, with climate experts warning that it is too hot to sit outside in Spain when conditions heat up. Europe is grappling with rising temperatures, and tourists will feel the difference in popular destinations such as Spain and Portugal. New rules introduced in Spain mean that, when temperatures rise, restaurants, cafes and bars have to close their outdoor terraces.

The amendment to the National Labour Agreement for the Hospitality Sector (ALEH), which safeguards workers such as waiting staff in Spain, was made back in April as the Mediterranean country gears up for a scorching summer. When Spain issues orange or red weather alerts due to soaring temperatures, businesses with outdoor terraces will now have to either reduce or suspend outdoor operations.

According to Global Climate Risks, temperatures in affected regions regularly exceed 35C to 45C during peak afternoon hours, posing a risk to health for both locals and tourists.

“For a country built around outdoor dining, terrace culture, and coastal tourism – and one that welcomed 97 million tourists in 2025 – this is a significant shift,” the climate group said in a recent report.

“Tourists from the United Kingdom, France, and Germany (~43 million tourists) represent a large share of summer tourism demand, meaning heat-related disruptions now affect millions of holiday experiences each year.”

It also says that there is an increased risk of heat stress, dehydration, and cardiovascular strain, especially for older tourists and outdoor workers during peak summer conditions. Additionally, extreme heat puts more pressure on health systems and emergency services in peak tourist regions during heatwave periods.

The organisation has called for the integration of heat risk alerts into travel advisories and booking platforms, the scale-up of urban heat adaptation in major tourist cities, and accelerated deep emissions reductions and climate mitigation actions to limit further long-term intensification of extreme heat.