France, Spain and Germany are facing a depressing June weekend that will break heat records. On Friday, a temperature of over 40 degrees was measured in some parts of France. The French meteorological service Metro France states that heat records for June have already been broken in eleven areas.
– In France, it is 15 degrees warmer than normal for the month of June. Normal temperature for Paris at this time of year is 25 degrees. Locally, it can be over 40 degrees hot in the south and west of France, says meteorologist Isak Slettebø at Stormgeo.
Healthcare in France is taking into account cases of illness due to the hot temperatures. School children have been encouraged to stay home from school and festival visitors are offered cold water showers.
The high temperatures are like parked over central Europe and is due to an air mass that has been pushed up from the Sahara and then up over Spain and France.
– It is a low pressure west of Portugal that causes the hot air from the Sahara to be pushed up over Europe.
The heat is also evident in Spain. On Friday, more than 35 degrees were measured in large parts of the country and forest fires ravaged almost 9,000 hectares of land in northwestern Spain. The fires have forced about 200 people to leave their homes.
Record temperatures have been measured also in Germany and is expected to rise to between 29 and 35 degrees on Saturday in some places.
– In Berlin, the temperature is over from 35 degrees but will drop to 20 degrees on Sunday. Even in France, temperatures will drop a bit tomorrow, says meteorologist Isak Slettebø.
North of the Baltic Sea, the hot air stops.
– Northwesterly winds and colder air over Scandinavia hold up.
In the UK, a record was broken on Friday for the hottest day of the year when they measured over 30 degrees. It was the third day in a row that a new heat record was set.
The heat wave in June contributes to a growing concern about large forest fires, water shortages and other negative consequences of climate change.
– What we are witnessing today is unfortunately a foretaste of the future, says Clare Nullis, spokesperson for the UN weather agency WMO, and continues: As a result of climate change, heat waves start earlier, Nullis tells TT.
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