Sunday, December 22, 2024

Heading to Europe in search of summer heat and sunshine

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As our unsatisfactory summer continues, southeastern Europe has further high-temperature warnings and heatwave conditions. For holidaymakers seeking heat and sunshine Greece, Italy and Croatia have certainly provided although as temperatures moved through the 30sC. 

A more southerly jetstream has fed unsettled weather from the Bay of Biscay up to the Baltic Sea with France and the Benelux countries, even NW Germany being impacted by heavy rain and thunderstorms, often with torrential downpours, flash flooding, wild gusts and hail.

On Friday a low pressure will continue to work its way eastwards from France over Germany into Poland and the Alps. This has thrown early showery rain over SE England and the English Channel on Friday morning and will combine with a lingering North Sea low pressure to influence the weather over eastern Britain this weekend. 

Severe thunderstorms are possible on Friday over Germany, Czechia and Austria. Also developing over Switzerland and northern Italy as the northern bands reach western Poland, northern Germany and Denmark into Saturday morning. The downpours then move into southern Sweden and the Baltic States during Saturday. This same area of rain will reach North Sea coasts of Britain and change the weather over southern Norway for Sunday with more rain for Denmark. DMI has yellow and orange warnings for heavy rain and cloudbursts with up to 80mm rain mentioned for Denmark.

Euro football weather Germany Berlin

By the end of the weekend, the low pressure should be centred near SW Norway. Hopefully, that will allow fine, dry and bright weather back to northeast Germany for the Euro 2024 men’s final in Berlin. 

Clear skies and sunshine with high temperatures for southern and eastern Europe, unsettled in NW. NASA

Heat

In the far south of Spain, there are heat warnings as temperatures reach 38 to 40C in some spots. There should be some relief on Saturday but the heat returns Monday and Tuesday with clearing skies and a breeze from the interior. Malaga could see 40C today and after a dip at the weekend back to 35C on Monday. Madrid could reach 39C by the middle of next week. The Canary Islands stay sunny, very warm and fine. Tenerife in the high 30s over the weekend and on Monday. 

Alpine France has thunderstorm warnings on Friday. Nice will have fine weather after today with sunshine and temperatures around 30C. Paris will move into the mid 20sC by Sunday and stay that way for a few days. 

Heatwave warnings continue this weekend for the Balkans, Hungary, Italy, Bulgaria and Greece. Coastal Croatia continues with fine weather and sunshine, with temperatures into the mid to high 30s C. More fine weather for Greece with Athens seeing temperatures of 35 to 38C

Drought europe

Drought conditions in Europe in mid-June 2024

The map displays persistent drought conditions in southern Europe, with severe, enduring, and critical conditions in the Mediterranean region. Eastern Europe is experiencing sparse worsening drought conditions that are affecting crops and vegetation, Western Scotland has now recovered with only early warning status for parts of eastern Scotland being highlighted now by SEPA in July.

wildFire risk europe

Accompanying this dry weather is a heightened wildfire risk. Not wanting to dampen any holiday excitement but different parts of Europe have had different weather in the past months. If the UK had been subjected to long-term dry warm weather we would be hearing about avoiding the risk of accidental fires. The same care is needed by visitors to southern and eastern Europe and respect for local water supplies. 

Croatia waterfalls

Croatia waterfalls I.Scrimgeour

The next week looks similar with the heat staying in the south and southeast of Europe. Perhaps some disruption nearer the end of July for the Balkans, the Adriatic up to Austria with temperatures coming down. Spain and Portugal and the western Mediterranean look hot, could that heat finally push northwards towards the UK, or is holidaying abroad the only answer for sun seekers this summer? 

Holiday weather

Meteo Alarm – weather warnings across Europe

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