The last three weeks have been something to remember across many parts of Europe – from extreme heat and wildfires in Spain, Italy, and Greece to record-breaking marine heatwave in the Mediterranean. Then, multiple destructive severe weather outbreaks with several tornadoes, a new European hailstone record, to windstorms followed, ending with historic floods in Slovenia. Storm Peter brought a significant cold refreshment this weekend, but the pattern will soon warm up again. A new scorching heatwave is expanding into southwestern Europe, spreading north and east through mid-August.
Over the weekend, finally, some much-needed relief in the heat came with the significantly cooler mixed maritime air mass associated with storm Peter moving into northern Europe. The recent severe weather outbreaks across south-central Europe have ended with a historic and destructive flooding event in Slovenia.
Meanwhile, the Iberian peninsula is overheating again. In response to a strengthening upper-level blocking High from northwestern Africa, a plume of hot air mass has been spreading into Spain and Portugal over the weekend. Over the coming days, the heat will intensify into mid-40s daytime maximum temperatures, with heat gradually spreading across western Europe later this week.
Towards the next weekend, the heatwave is forecast to gradually expand east across southern Europe, the Mediterranean region, central Europe, and the Balkan peninsula. How intense the heat will be in these regions is yet to be determined as the pattern evolves this week. Hot temperatures are forecast to return to Italy and Greece towards mid-August.
The heat has been significantly intensifying across Spain and Portugal on Saturday and Sunday. Daytime temperatures have pushed into +41 to +43 °C in both countries. Farther east and north, lower temperatures are observed as a cool maritime air mass is forecast to remain for a few more days before Peter finally vanishes.
