Amber warnings, the second highest, have been raised for southern parts of England by the UK Met Office.
In mid-July, the Met Office issued its first-ever red alert for “extreme” temperatures, as more than 40 weather stations beat the previous record of 101.7 degrees (38.7 degrees Celsius) in Britain. Many of the stations even rose to 104 degrees (40 degrees Celsius), a feat that has been accomplished ten times more because of human-caused climate change.
A large area of ​​western and northwestern Europe will be affected by the upcoming heat wave, with the risk of wildfires accompanying rising temperatures. It follows Europe The sixth hottest month of July ever.
Driving the heat is a high-pressure ridge, colloquially known as the Thermal Dome, which will shut off directly over Britain by Tuesday night through Wednesday. In addition to bringing in the sweltering hot air, it will also prevent any inclement weather – keeping the sun’s rays going.
In Britain, temperatures are expected to peak from Friday to Saturday before dropping next week. Highs are generally between 85 and 95 degrees (29 to 35 degrees Celsius), although some areas may get closer to 96 or 97 (35.5 to 36 degrees Celsius). Nowhere is it likely to reach the century mark.
Health officials issued a level 3 out of 4 heatwave alert, urging residents to “look for others, especially the elderly, young children, infants and those with underlying health conditions.” Officials also recommended that the public limit alcohol consumption.
The Met Office expects London to see highs in the upper 80s to around 90 (30 to 32 degrees Celsius) from Thursday to Sunday. Rainy weather will arrive to start the work week. Average high temperatures in early August in London are closer to the lower 70s (20°C low).
The Met Éireann, the Irish equivalent of the US National Weather Service, also issued a weather warning for the country, warning of “heat stress, especially for the most vulnerable sections of the population,” as well as a high UV index. It is noteworthy that Relatively few residents have air conditioners installed in their homes.
Eighteen departments in France are also under orange heat alarms, and Météo France calls for temperatures In the southwestern parts of the country the temperature reaches 97 to 102 degrees (36 to 39 degrees Celsius), with an isolated reading of 104 degrees (40 degrees Celsius) not far off.
Paris is expected to score 93 on Wednesday, 92 on Thursday and 94 on Friday.
In Spain that was The hottest month of July everAnd the orange heat warning It’s actually just south of Madrid – where the maximum temperature can approach 104 degrees, with many other areas under yellow alerts. But the core of the thermal dome should remain in the far north of Western Europe.
The worsening heat is perpetuating the severe drought that afflicts many parts of Western Europe.
According to climate historian Maximiliano Herrera, it was record dry in some parts of England, including London. He said on Twitter that the city saw “almost no rain” during July, with less than a millimeter recorded. July typically features approximately 1.8 inches (45 mm) of rain, with an average of 8 rainy days during the month.
July 2022 in the UK the average temperature was 16.6°C, +1.3°C above the normal 1991-2020. It was record dry in parts of England, including London where there was almost no rain (less than 1 mm). Only northern Scotland had near-normal conditions. Maps by the UK Met Office. pic.twitter.com/gklXW8VvsW
Extreme temperatures around the world (extremetemps) August 8, 2022
office met I mentioned 13 provinces Across southern and eastern England the driest July on record was recorded.
There are concerns that the hot, dry weather, combined with previous dry conditions, could support the risk of wildfires. The Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service wrote that the fire risk was “now very high to exceptional” and that the firefighters were particularly busy over the past weekend. They urged individuals involved in outdoor recreation to avoid campfires and campfires.
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France is also experiencing an exceptional drought, one of the worst on record, according to Météo France. Rainfall The lowest level in the country was observed in July And 85 percent is below normal.
Nearly 40,000 residents in France were forced to evacuate from wildfires during the third week of July, with similar fires raging in Spain and Greece.
Very dry conditions again cause very high fires, Especially in the south of France.
While the heat core will be over southern Britain and France Thursday through Sunday, above-average temperatures will also rise from the Netherlands through southern Scandinavia. The heat will recede from Western Europe early next week, heading towards Eastern Europe.
It has been well established that human-caused climate change amplifies the intensity, duration, and frequency of high temperature events. In addition to the sweltering heat that swept Britain last month, an event of a similar magnitude led to record-breaking temperatures, Including a high of 109 degrees in Paris, in late July 2019.
Jason Samino contributed to this report.
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