Alicante bus station hits 34°C after air conditioning fails

Today's essentials (5 key points)

• A broken air-conditioning unit pushed indoor temperatures at Alicante's central bus station to 34°C on 19 August, Informacion reported.
• Open-Meteo forecasts highs of 35°C in Alicante city and up to 39°C inland around Pinoso on Wednesday 19 August, under an overcast but rainless sky.
• Alicante-Elche airport handled more than 2.3 million passengers in July, an 11.1% rise year on year, according to the Olive Press.
• The Compromís party has proposed banning non-residents from buying homes in the Alicante area to slow rising prices, TodoAlicante reports.
• National Police arrested three men in Altea after dismantling a cannabis club used as a retail drug-selling point, per elperiodic.

Today's essentials

Alicante bus station hits 34°C after air conditioning fails. Alicante's central bus station recorded up to 34°C indoors on 19 August after its air conditioning broke down, according to Informacion, with the first floor around the cafeteria worst affected.

Weather today

Hot and hazy across the Costa Blanca. Wednesday 19 August is a hot, overcast day across the Costa Blanca, with highs of 35°C in Alicante city and up to 39°C inland, Open-Meteo forecasts.

In Alicante city, temperatures run from a warm 25°C low to a 35°C high under a cloudy sky, with no rain expected and only a light breeze topping out at 12 km/h. It feels muggy rather than fresh, so carry water and stay out of direct sun in the early afternoon.

Inland around Pinoso the mercury climbs higher, from 23°C to 39°C, with a one-in-three chance of a passing shower and gustier wind up to 26 km/h. On the southern coast, Denia sits between 23°C and 37°C with dry skies and a 16 km/h sea breeze, making the shoreline the more bearable option today, ideally early morning or after sunset.

Transport & traffic

• Alicante airport: a decade of steady growth. Alicante-Elche airport has long been a tourism engine for the Costa Blanca, passing its 12-millionth annual passenger back in 2016, according to AlicanteOut. That 2016 milestone showed how firmly the airport had established itself as the region's main gateway, and it helps explain why so much of the local rental and hospitality economy is built around arrivals here. For an English-speaking resident, it is a reminder that the airport's growth also shapes traffic, parking demand and accommodation prices across the province, especially during the busiest summer weeks.
• Airport handles 2.3 million passengers in July. Alicante-Elche airport handled more than 2.3 million passengers in July, up 11.1% on the same month last year, the Olive Press reported, citing operator Aena. Aena said on Wednesday the airport is on course to break its annual record, confirming that the summer rush shows no sign of easing. In practice that means busier terminals and longer queues at security and passport control, so if you are flying out this month, allow extra time and consider an off-peak departure.

What's changing for you

• A push to bar non-residents from buying homes. The Compromís party wants to ban non-residents from buying homes in the Alicante area to rein in rising prices, according to TodoAlicante. For now this is only a political proposal, not a rule, so no purchase is blocked today. But if you are a non-resident weighing a property here, it is worth tracking how the debate develops, since any future restriction would land squarely on overseas buyers; anyone already house-hunting can factor that uncertainty into their timing.
• Cable theft leaves an Orihuela sports centre dark. A cable theft worth around 11,000 euros has left the La Murada sports centre in Orihuela without electricity, TodoAlicante reports. If you train, swim or take your kids to activities at that facility, expect disruption until power is restored, so check with the centre before heading over. It is also a practical reminder to confirm opening status by phone during a heatwave, when outdoor alternatives are limited by the sun.

Local news to know

• Cannabis club shut down in Altea. National Police have dismantled a cannabis club in Altea that was operating as a retail drug-selling point, arresting three men aged 19, 26 and 58, according to elperiodic.
• Marina Alta under a red heat warning. AEMET's red heat warning came into force in the Marina Alta on Wednesday, where Pedreguer, Pego and other inland towns recorded up to 41°C by midday, the highest readings of the summer so far, La Marina Plaza reported.
• More residents using the mobile eco-parks. Use of the Consorci Mare mobile eco-parks is rising in Callosa d'en Sarrià, Orxeta and Relleu, report elperiodic and La Marina Plaza, as the consortium president tours the 52 municipalities it serves.
• Day trips by boat from Alicante. Alicante's port makes an easy launch point for Mediterranean boat trips, with AlicanteOut spotlighting nearby coastal escapes such as the island of Tabarca as rewarding day-trip destinations.

Tonight and tomorrow, the Costa Blanca

• Benidorm's summer nightlife rolls on. Benidorm keeps a packed summer nightlife going through August, with club nights and urban festivals such as BRESH parties and the Summer Urban Fest at Penélope, per Life in Benidorm.
• Family plans and comedy in Benidorm. Beyond the clubbing, Benidorm's summer weekends also mix big concerts, comedy nights and family-friendly plans, Life in Benidorm notes, giving visitors plenty to fill an August evening.

See the full agenda, tonight and tomorrow