Relief from the unrelenting heat is finally arriving this week across western Europe, with more unsettled conditions bringing the chance of rain. Temperatures are expected to fall back towards the seasonal norm, with some parts of the UK even falling about 3C below normal by Thursday. After such a scorching summer, and with a temperature drop of more than 15C compared with last Thursday’s heat, it may feel surprisingly chilly.
There are signs that some substantial rain could be on the cards for the south of the UK this week as a cold front moves in from the Atlantic on Monday night into Tuesday. As of Monday, parts of southern England had endured 62 consecutive days of no rainfall – this is observed at a Met Office weather station in Wisley, Surrey. Even the last recorded rainfall here on 16 June amounted to just 0.4mm.
The more interesting weather arrives from Wednesday into the weekend, as low pressure moves across the UK, bringing frequent sharp showers and potentially thundery downpours.
After such a prolonged dry spell, even a few substantial bursts of rain will make a noticeable difference to the environment. Continental Europe is also likely to turn wetter as the main cold front sinks southwards into France and Germany on Wednesday. Farther south, however, rainfall is likely to be more hit and miss, relying heavily on showers and thunderstorms, with this risk really rising from Thursday.
While the heat is subsiding on this side of the Atlantic, the southern US states have extended extreme heat warnings this week. There is a significant lack of overnight cooling and relief from the heat, with overnight lows not falling much below 27-28C (low 80sF). For perspective, the UK’s highest overnight minimum during the late June heatwave reached about 22-23C.
High humidity is also contributing to the uncomfortable conditions and is helping push the heat index to such high levels to warrant the extreme heat warnings. The combination of air temperature and humidity produces the heat index, or apparent temperature, which better reflects how hot conditions feel. Apparent temperatures of 31-33C are being modelled as the overnight lows, with the National Weather Service warning of “dangerously hot conditions” as the forecasted daytime heat index values could exceed 46C, especially across Louisiana and Mississippi.
Heatwave fuels major wildfires across Europe, from Belgium to Greece
Belgian King Philippe was due to visit an area affected by what is believed to be the country’s largest wildfire on Monday, following a weekend of intensive firefighting in the Hautes Fagnes nature reserve.
The fire, which began Friday afternoon, has burned more than 3,000 hectares, according to provisional figures. Over the weekend, the blaze approached the German border, prompting the precautionary evacuation of parts of the town of Monschau.
Light rain on Monday morning helped slow the fire’s eastward spread toward Germany, but the blaze continued to expand in a northeastern direction, local media reported.
Belgian newspaper Le Soir warned that the situation was “no longer just a warning,” pointing to the severe effects of the summer heatwave and mounting losses.
The Belgian fire came as firefighters across Europe battled a series of major wildfires.
In Spain, a soldier died Sunday while helping fight a large wildfire in Aragon, authorities said. French reinforcements were expected to assist efforts to contain a blaze in northeastern Spain that has burned for a week and threatened a 1,000-year-old monastery.
Portugal was also battling several fires. Five firefighters were injured when their vehicle caught fire while responding to a blaze near Dine, a village close to the Spanish border, local media reported. Other fires were burning near the border around Boticas and Chaves.
In Greece, an elderly couple died Sunday in a wildfire on the island of Salamis. The couple died outside their home in the Peristeria beach area, according to the Greek coastguard. More than 500 people were ordered to evacuate.
The latest fires came as much of Europe experienced another period of intense heat, creating conditions favorable for the rapid spread of wildfires.
A fire in a Croatian holiday resort on Friday engulfed homes, killing one person, injuring about 40 and forcing around 1,200 people to evacuate, officials said. The European Union warned that pockets of “very extreme” wildfire conditions were present across the continent.
Hundreds of people were also evacuated from villages in western Germany and southwestern France, while holidaymakers were rescued from beaches threatened by fires in Greece. In Spain, the army helped recover historical relics threatened by flames.
The widespread fires have underscored the growing risks posed by extreme heat and dry conditions across Europe, with human-caused climate change contributing to more frequent and severe extreme weather events, including heatwaves and wildfires.
