The intense heat wave hitting Spain has led to the deaths of 30 people since Aug. 1, officials said on Monday.

According to National Meteorology Institute forecasts, temperatures will drop late this week, principally for northern communities of the country, but will rise at the beginning of next week to the typical levels of August for that part of the country.

However, the chief of the forecast department of the National Meteorology Institute, Angel Rivera, said a drop in temperatures would be slight all over the country.

He warned that during the coming hours, especially in the morning, the heat wave would regain force in the Iberian country. After several days in which top temperatures in Andalucia, Extremadura and parts of Galicia reached 40 degrees Celsius, the thermometers would rocket to 43 degrees, he added.

The majority of the dead over the past few days are older people. The persisting heat would affect grape yields, and the national wine production as well, said the Conference of Agricultural Cooperatives of Spain (CCAE).

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