Free tech workshops on Gandia beach, nightly 18:00 to 21:30

Today's essentials (5 key points)

• The Espai Baladre on Gandia beach is hosting the free FuturSteam technology show throughout August, with nightly hands-on workshops in robotics, AI and virtual reality.
• AEMET has placed the interior and southern coast of Valencia province under an orange storm warning this Saturday, with possible hail and strong wind gusts.
• Valencia's EMT bus company will add 30 buses and 400 staff on Wednesday 12 August to carry eclipse watchers to the Malvarrosa beach.
• The developer Casa 47 has opened applications for 401 affordable rental homes across the Comunitat Valenciana.
• Spain's prime minister has warned of difficult days ahead against wildfires after roughly 75,000 people were evacuated across the Madrid and Valencia regions.

Today's essentials

Free tech workshops on Gandia beach, nightly 18:00 to 21:30. According to Valencia Extra, the Espai Baladre on Gandia beach is running the free FuturSteam technology show right through August, with open doors every evening from 18:00 to 21:30 and hands-on workshops in robotics, AI and virtual reality.

Weather today

Weather today: muggy and grey, 25 to 31 degrees in the city. Valencia city sits between 25 and 31 degrees today, Saturday 1 August, under a fully overcast sky with no rain expected and a light breeze up to 16 km/h, according to Open-Meteo.

Inland around Buñol the range widens a touch, from 21 degrees overnight to 32 in the afternoon, with only a 3% chance of rain and gusts near 17 km/h, per Open-Meteo. On the southern coast at Tavernes de la Valldigna it stays close and humid, 25 to 31 degrees under the same grey ceiling.

With the air sticky and little sea breeze to help, tackle outdoor errands in the morning and keep water on you; the cloud cover will trap the mugginess rather than cool things down.

Transport & traffic

• EMT adds 30 buses and 400 staff for the 12 August eclipse. Valencia's EMT bus operator will deploy 30 extra buses and 400 staff on Wednesday 12 August to move crowds to the Malvarrosa for the total solar eclipse, according to Valencia Secreta. The reinforcement will concentrate on the lines that link the city's neighbourhoods to the seafront, the chosen viewing point, so if you plan to watch the eclipse from the beach, expect packed services and set off well ahead; on any ordinary day those same routes keep their normal timetable, so this is a one-off surge to plan around rather than a lasting change.
• Riders vent about the EMT on Reddit. A thread on Reddit's r/valencia titled 'El desastre de l'EMT' has become a gathering point for riders complaining about unreliable buses, though it carries no official figures. The grievances are anecdotal, long waits and crowded lines rather than verified data, but they surface just as the network prepares for its eclipse-day push; read it as a snapshot of local frustration, not a service bulletin.

What's changing for you

• Full pension at 65 from 2027 for those born 1960 to 1970. Workers born between 1960 and 1970 will be able to retire at 65 on a full pension from 2027 if they meet the Seguridad Social's contribution requirements, according to Valencia Extra. If you fall in that age bracket and have built up a long working record in Spain, it is worth requesting your vida laboral report from the Seguridad Social now to see exactly where you stand; the contribution history required is strict, so confirming your total early gives you a clearer read on your early or full retirement options.
• 401 affordable rental homes open for applications. The developer Casa 47 has opened applications for 401 affordable rental homes across the Comunitat Valenciana, according to Valencia Plaza. If affordable rent is on your radar, this is a concrete window worth acting on: check the eligibility terms (income limits and residency conditions usually apply to these schemes), gather your paperwork and apply before the call closes, because demand for below-market rentals in the region far outstrips what is on offer.

Local news to know

• PM warns of 'difficult hours' as 75,000 flee wildfires. Spain's prime minister has warned of 'difficult hours' ahead in the fight against wildfires after some 75,000 people were evacuated across the Madrid and Valencia regions, franceinfo reports.
• AEMET issues orange storm warning for southern Valencia. AEMET has issued an orange warning for storms this Saturday in the interior and southern coast of Valencia province, flagging a risk of hail and very strong wind gusts, as reported by Levante-EMV and Las Provincias.
• Cabanyal's Casa dels Bous to become the Museu de la Mar. The historic Casa dels Bous in the Cabanyal is in the final stretch of its conversion into the Museu de la Mar, set to be Valencia's first dedicated sea museum, according to Valencia Bonita.
• Forest firefighters demand hazard pay under 2024 statute. Valencia's forest firefighters, backed by their unions, are demanding the danger, toxicity and hardship supplements set out in a 2024 statute passed by Congress, saying they risk their lives without a euro for hazard pay, according to elDiario.es.

Things to do today

• Free weekend concerts light up Cullera's summer nights. Cullera is filling its summer weekend nights with free live concerts and children's activities under the 'Nits d'Estiu a Cullera' programme, according to Valencia Bonita. Entry is free and the sessions run on weekend evenings in the coastal town of Cullera, south of Valencia, a low-cost family option if you fancy an evening out by the sea.
• Traditional Valencian dance day, this Sunday 2 August only. This Sunday 2 August only, Valencia marks the Día de la Dansa Tradicional Valenciana with traditional dances and live music celebrating the region's folk heritage, according to Valencia Secreta. It is a single-day event, so Sunday is your only chance to catch it; expect popular and folkloric dances in a family-friendly, open setting.