France,
Germany, Poland
and Czech Republic set June
heatwave records; worst
still
to come
27
June, 2019
WASHINGTON/BERLIN
(WASHINGTON POST, AFP) - A ferocious heatwave has overtaken parts of
Europe. It has already set a number of records, and there are several
days of extreme heat to go.
As
the heatwave escalates towards its peak late this week, temperatures
have already neared or surpassed 37.8 deg C in parts of France,
Germany, Poland and Spain. Even Switzerland has locations which have
risen past the 30 deg C mark.
The
authorities raised alerts on Wednesday (June 26) as the heatwave
threatened to intensify, with temperatures heading into the 40s deg
C.
The
choking heat has already prompted traffic restrictions, sparked
forest fires and fanned debate over public nudity in Germany as
sweltering citizens stripped off.
While
records will continue to be broken in the days ahead, a number of
historic marks have already been set as the heatwave cranks up.
France's
meteorological agency, Meteo-France, tweeted that the country posted
its hottest June day on record on Wednesday, with an average high
temperature of 34.9 deg C.
In
Germany, a weather station in Brandenburg soared to 38.6 deg C on
Wednesday afternoon, becoming the hottest temperature recorded in the
country in June.
A
blaze 90km south-west of Berlin, which started on Monday and ravaged
around 100 hectares, was finally brought under control on Wednesday.
In
Munich, security guards ordered a group of women sunbathing topless
on the banks of the river Isar to cover up.
The
move backfired, according to the Munich daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung,
which quoted another sunbather as saying that she and others took
their tops off “out of solidarity”. It said an urgent motion was
introduced in a city council meeting on Wednesday to allow topless
bathing.
In
Brandenburg, police cautioned a naked man for driving his moped
wearing only his helmet and sandals.
Meanwhile,
Poland set its June temperature record, with a high of 38.2 deg C in
Radzyn, in the eastern part of the country. The Czech Republic also
appears to have set a June record with a temperature of 38.9 deg C in
Doksany, north-west of Prague.
Its
not just daytime temperatures which have been exceptionally warm.
Temperatures at night have also been record-setting, presenting a
dangerous situation for those without access to air-conditioning and
vulnerable groups such as older adults and the very young.
The
low temperature in Nice, France was just 26 deg C on Wednesday, the
warmest ever recorded in June.
Those
toasty lows act as a big launching point for daytime highs.
On
Thursday, France could challenge its highest temperature recorded in
June or any month, with a record portion of the country under alerts
for heat. The highest modern temperature in June in France is 41.5
deg C, but parts of southern France are projected to reach 43 deg C
on Thursday or Friday. This is near the country's national
temperature record (for any month) of 44.1 deg C.
Several
other countries could also challenge longstanding heat records in the
days ahead.
From
Spain to Poland, temperatures are forecast to be at least 11 to 17
deg C above normal. Actual temperatures should surge to at least 35
to 40 deg C over a sprawling area.
The
mercury is forecast to approach 40.6 deg C in Madrid on Friday, which
would be its highest temperature ever recorded.
A
main cause for the massive early season heatwave is a pair of
powerful high-pressure systems. One is near Greenland and the other
is over north-central Europe. As they become linked and flex over
coming days, forming a massive heat dome, they will also act to block
a low-pressure system to their south, which would draw cooler air
over Europe.
"Europe
is currently under historically strong upper ridge," Mika
Rantanen, a meteorologist in Finland, tweeted on Wednesday. An upper
ridge is the technical term for this extensive zone of high pressure
or heat dome.
The
upper level ridge is a double-edged sword. It suppresses cloud cover
allowing the sun to bake the land surface and its circulation can
draw even more heat into affected areas.
In
this instance, the main heat feed is known as the "Spanish
plume", sometimes also referred to as the "Sahara plume".
The hot air plume, sourced from deserts in Spain and the Sahara, is
surging through much of Europe. The result is excessive heat and
severe thunderstorms at times in some places.
The
broader weather pattern behind this heatwave has connections to the
stagnant high-pressure zone responsible for the big Greenland melt
event in mid-June that has been breaking records for longevity. Such
patterns may be becoming more common in a warming world.
Although
this heatwave is set to peak on Thursday and Friday, it will likely
stay hot through the weekend in much of western and central Europe.
Any notably cooler air is holding off until next week and may
primarily target eastern Europe as the general hot pattern holds in
place.
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