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Heat Dome and Omega Block Drive Record Temperatures Across UK, France, Spain
A high-pressure system and stalled jet stream pattern produced extreme heat across western Europe on Tuesday. The UK Met Office issued a red warning for 39°C readings, while France recorded 40 drowning deaths in one week and Spain posted alerts for 44°C in the south.
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The UK Met Office placed a red extreme heat warning in effect for Wednesday and Thursday, forecasting at least 39°C and noting a chance the June daily record could be broken. In France, forecasters said Paris could reach 40°C this week, a level described as unprecedented for June, while Météo-France warned of exceptionally high day and night readings.
Spain’s national weather service Aemet issued red alerts Tuesday for 44°C in southern Andalusia and 40°C warnings for the northern regions of Cantabria and the Basque Country.
The Royal Meteorological Society explained that when the jet stream weakens and buckles, high pressure becomes sandwiched between low-pressure systems, halting the usual movement of weather fronts. Under the high-pressure center, already warm air heats further each day, while surrounding low-pressure areas bring cooler, unsettled conditions.
French authorities recorded 40 drowning deaths in the past week as residents sought relief in rivers and other bodies of water. The same pattern has produced multi-day stretches of settled, dry weather across Britain, Spain, and France, with the block expected to persist through at least Thursday.
“Heat domes happen all over the world, and the one over Europe this week is locking in days of near-record highs across Britain, Spain and France.”
