28/06/2019
Many parts of Europe are experiencing an unusually early and intense as a result of warm air masses from Africa, setting new daytime and overnight temperature records for June. The heat poses a risk to people's , and the .
change scenarios predict more frequent, drawn out and intense heat events as greenhouse gas concentrations lead to a rise in global temperatures.
Meteo-France says the heatwave will peak Friday 28 June and issued a maximum red alert for several areas. It reported a new national temperature record of 44.3°C at Carpentras in the Vaucluse (SE France). This record is provisional as the temperature may rise.
The Spanish national meteorological and hydrological agency AEMET issued a red alert for heat as temperatures top 40°C in parts of northern Spain. It also warned of very high to extreme wildfire risk, as a wildfire raged in Catalonia.
Austria is expected to have its warmest June on record, 4.5°C above the long-term average and ahead of 2003, according to the national meteorological and hydrological service ZAMG.
More than half of Switzerland’s observing stations measured new June temperature records on Wednesday. Germany also reported new records.
Map from ESA - European Space Agency