Southwest Europe is experiencing first-hand what the climate crisis looks like this week. Temperatures reach well over 40 degrees and therefore values that are dangerous for health. Longer, more intense heat waves are a feature of the constantly warming Earth. According to the 2021 IPCC status report, there is no doubt that humans are the cause.
A heat wave that would have occurred once every 50 years in the climate before industrialization began occurs every ten years in today’s climate and is 1.2 degrees warmer. If the global temperature rises by more than 2 degrees, statistically there will be a heat wave every four years – and it will be nearly three degrees warmer.
Forecast for hot areas in Europe according to Meteo France for Wednesday, June 15, 2022, 12:00
Spain as the oven of Europe
A high has been building in Spain for days on warm air from Africa. The air dries up due to the drop in altitude, the clouds dissolve and the strong June sun does its part to warm the air in the Iberian Peninsula even more.
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This is the weather in Europe
Spain is facing its worst heat wave in mid-June in at least 20 years, Ruben del Campo, a spokesman for the Spanish Meteorological Service (Aemet), told El Pais newspaper. Official heat warnings currently apply to 15 of the 17 regions, including otherwise colder Catalonia.
Up to 43 degrees were measured in the shade on Sunday and Monday, the highest temperatures this year in Europe. Even in heat-tested Spain, such values are not normal in the first half of June, but are about ten degrees above average. The heat will pick up a bit over the next few days and is almost close to the Spanish record set for June, which is 45.2 degrees in Seville.
Call for “Mindfulness”
The heat wave in Spain and France has put the governments of both countries on red alert. The situation is “extremely worrying,” Spanish Environment Minister Teresa Ribera said on Tuesday. Faced with the heat wave that was also expected there, the French government called for “attention and solidarity” to its weaker fellow citizens.
ORF weather map: Hot, stifling air is currently in southwestern Europe
More than 40 degrees in France too
In France, after the hottest May in the history of measurements, the new heat wave has already started in the south of the country. 36.2 degrees were measured in Marseille on Monday. It has never been so hot here at the beginning of the year, as the French weather service announced on Twitter. Also in Provence, 37.6 degrees were recorded in the municipality of Cuers, the highest temperature of the year in France so far.
🌡️36.2°C T°C max. provisional at 16:00 at Marseille-Marignane airport, new record of early T>= 36°C (old: 37.6°C on 21/06/2003) 🥵
— Météo-France Sud-Est (@MeteoFrance_SE) June 13, 2022
But this is just the beginning, as from Thursday there is a risk of more than 40 degrees, the peak should be reached on Saturday. This brings back memories of the “heat of the century” of June 2019, when they were measured up to 46 degrees. It’s not good news, because the country is already suffering from a severe drought.
Many rivers in France have low waters, including the Rhône. A problem for many nuclear power plants that require water for cooling. The French electricity company EDF announced that production from the Saint-Alban nuclear power plant could be throttled again, as it was in early June.
APA/AFP/Cristina Quicler 48 degrees in mid-June in Seville
Heat and drought also in Italy
Heat and drought are also a big problem in Italy. The water level in the Po, the country’s longest river and the lifeline in the north, is lower than it was 70 years ago, according to weather portal Ilmeteo.it. In agriculture, in particular, there is a growing lack of water for irrigation.
Italian meteorologists expect temperatures of up to 37 or 38 degrees in the coming days, and there are no signs of easing the drought. The situation is also exacerbated because the little winter snow in the Alps has long since melted.
Even in England it will be temporarily hot, with London experiencing one of its rare 30+ degrees days on Friday. On Saturday, Sunday at the latest, the air will be cooler in the British Isles and it may rain heavily.
Registrations also possible in Germany
Over the weekend, the heat from France will also really hit Central Europe, some calculations show 38 or 39 degrees for Germany. In mid-June, it has never been this hot in Germany since records began.
The June record is 39.6 degrees and was set on June 30, 2019 in Bernburg an der Saale. However, there is still some uncertainty about the extent to which extreme heat will also hit Germany and Poland.
APA/AFP/Philippe Lopez Also in France, new maximum temperatures are being reached
Hot weekend in Austria
As per the current status, Austria was not spared from the heat wave either. In the next few days there will be a lot of sun, but for now only 30 degrees in some places. In Corpus Christi, on Thursday, there are also some showers and thunderstorms, which can be quite strong in some places.
The right heat comes in this country on Saturday with up to 33 or 34 degrees in western Austria. Sunday night can cost some people their sleep if it doesn’t drop below 20 degrees, as there is a risk of a tropical night in some regions.
On Sunday the heat is likely to rise, 35 degrees or even a little higher is within the realm of possibility. That means the hottest days this year so far are imminent. How long the heat will last next week cannot be said for sure. Fortunately, it shouldn’t last long.