Spanish
Environment Writing, June 26 (EFE).- A powerful, extensive, dry and very warm anticyclone called a "heat dome" will affect large areas of southern, western and central Europe in the coming days, acting as a dome that traps heat near the ground and prevents its dissipation, which will cause temperatures to soar.
In southwestern European countries such as Spain, France, Portugal, and during the next few hours, the anticyclone will begin to strengthen and extend with very high temperatures, close to or even exceeding 40 degrees in some cases and even more.
Temperatures at an altitude of about 1,500 meters will show anomalies of between 8 and 12 degrees above normal, an "exceptional value" for the end of June, explains to EFE Francisco Martín, meteorologist of the Spanish portal Meteored, who specifies that in large areas of southwestern Europe the temperatures will be typical of the canicular period, between July 15 and August 15.
"Everything indicates that June could break records, surpassing even the historic June of 2017 in terms of high temperatures," observes Martín.
At this point, the expert points out that warm anticyclones like this one have become "three to five" times more likely since the 1950s, which scientists directly attribute to climate change.
In addition, this episode of extreme heat will bring associated risks, such as an increased danger of fires, high concentrations of tropospheric ozone, and a possible incursion of African dust. In Spain, the Meteorology Agency (Aemet) has warned about the first heat wave, which starts this Saturday, and which will initially last until the middle of next week, a situation similar to that in Italy, where an "intense heat wave" is being experienced, which has forced the Italian Ministry of Health to activate the red alert in numerous cities in the center and north of the country due to maximum temperatures of 40 degrees or more. For its part, the southern half of Portugal will be under an orange alert starting next Saturday with maximum temperatures of 43 degrees Celsius in the district of Beja, bordering Extremadura and Andalusia (Spain), according to the forecast of the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA). Next to Beja, other districts that will be under orange alert from Saturday are those of Portalegre and Évora, bordering Extremadura, and that of Faro, next to Andalusia, as well as Setúbal, south of Lisbon. That day, Portalegre and Évora are expected to register maximum temperatures of 39 °C and 42 °C, respectively, while in Faro it will be 36 °C and in Setúbal, 40 degrees. In France, Meteo France (French Meteorological Service) indicates on its website that during the weekend, and as a consequence of the powerful anticyclone, 38 degrees will be reached in the city of Montpellier, 37 degrees in Lyon, 36-35 degrees in Montelimar and Auxerre and between 32 and 34 degrees in large areas of the center of the country. However, France is not only affected by the heat. In the last few hours, the French meteorological service reports an episode of a front of violent storms since Wednesday, with strong winds and abundant electrical activity, which has left two people dead, at least 17 others injured and much damage. The hot air, as a consequence of the stifling heat in a large part of French territory, acted as "an extremely effective fuel" to feed the storms, added the French meteorological service. The meteorologist also predicts that in the coming hours the intense heat could spread to other European countries such as the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Greece and even Denmark, but one cannot speak with certainty of a heat wave, because "there is no global and universal definition that defines these episodes", but rather each country applies its own standards. However, it makes an important distinction: "In Spain, the technical conditions will be met to speak of a heat wave due to its intensity, duration and geographical extent, details Francisco Martín.
