A heat wave is approaching Europe. A reservoir of warm to hot air will form over southern Spain and Portugal as early as Friday. In addition, a large storm south of Greenland comes into play. The storm is spreading south, directing warm air towards Germany. This is the starting signal for the first major heat wave in Europe this year.
Weather: Early heat wave in Spain
In Spain in particular, values are increasing rapidly. In southern Spain the values of 35 degrees are realistic, some weather models also show maximum values of 39 degrees. This is also not surprising, as warm Saharan air is also carried north.
Moreover, the position of the sun is already very high. This means that such high temperatures are plausible, but still unusual for early May. From the end of May, 30 degrees are normal in the south of Spain and values of 35 degrees or even 40 degrees do not usually occur until the end of July or the beginning of August. It is therefore an unusually intense heat that falls on the Iberian Peninsula. But how is it in Germany?
Heat wave: what does Germany gain?
Northern Europe remains under the influence of low pressure. From the British Isles to Scandinavia, a powerful jet blows again and again, bringing with it areas of low pressure, cool temperatures and rain. And northern Germany is also feeling the effects.
In the north, temperatures will most likely be lower than in the south, and it will also cool faster there. But next Thursday and Friday, things are also looking very good in the north. It’s getting summery, with temperatures up to 25 degrees all over Germany. The 30 degrees will occur on the Rhine, on the Main and Moselle and in the south. Certainly not on the coast, but values of up to 27 degrees are also observed in Hanover and Berlin. Again, this could be enough for 30 degrees locally.
After Friday next week, it will be very uncertain. That the weekend will remain warm is anything but certain.
The heatwave continues to spread
The heat does not only reach Germany. We are dealing with a European event. The desert air extends to the Baltic States and south to Romania. It is also heating up in Italy, Switzerland and Austria, as well as in the Balkans.
What’s exciting, however, is that Southeastern Europe – especially Greece – isn’t getting any heat this time around.
Danger of bad weather after the heat
It is already certain that a heat wave will hit Europe. But it is far from clear what the impact will be. Two scenarios are possible: On the one hand, it is possible that a stable anticyclonic situation develops. Because hot air always causes high pressure peaks to rise.
But it could also be that there are strong thunderstorms, or even a violent weather situation. Because warm air meets relatively cool air from the north, there are always severe thunderstorms.
It is therefore unclear how things will continue after the hot days.
Heatwave in Pakistan and India
It’s not just Europe that is experiencing an unusually early heat wave this year. In India and Pakistan, the thermometer jumped to almost 50 degrees at the end of April. What is clear, however, is that the coming heat wave in Europe has nothing to do with the extreme heat in India and Pakistan.
Up to 40 degrees at 1500 meters (850 hPa), the air mass in India is well over 20 degrees warmer than the air in Europe. There are a few thousand kilometers between these air masses. That’s why it’s hot in Europe, but not as hot as in India and Pakistan recently.