Another year, another heat wave for Europe. This latest wave of heat comes in the midst of a warm first half to 2022 and coinciding with an abnormally warm Atlantic and Mediterranean.

2022 follows part of a cluster of particularly warm ‘summer spells’ which started in 2018.

The multi-year La Nina certainly appears to have contributed to drier springs and with warm water (esp Med Sea), this breeds ‘early season heat waves’!

Year-to-date temp anomaly

Recent years have certainly upped the stakes when it comes to heat and the global warming debate. For me, the warming is real but the cause? That’s another question for another time.

While many would point to Africa as Western Europe’s the natural heat source, the continent as a whole has actually had a cool 2022 so far, except for coastal areas clearly influenced by warm ocean.

Up until May, Iberia and France have been cool and wet and despite this early heat, it’s a very transient, back and forth pattern, so it’s never clear cut.

That being said, when the heat has come, it’s built fast and has worked hard at trying to push north.

However, the heat’s northward progress has been greatly restricted by a series of unusually deep (not unprecedented) low pressure systems have and continue to keep heat away from Ireland, N England and Scotland and even for the typically warmer S, SE of England, this warmth came and went quickly. Take this 2-day warm spell out and it’s been a fairly mediocre June thus far.

Stated on my Youtube channel a full week ago.

While nothing to truly write home about for us Brits and short lived, the heat however on the continent was the real deal, aided by lows off Iberia and north of the UK which helped ‘pump’ the ridge over Iberia and France, perhaps fueled by abnormally warm waters in both nearby Atlantic and Med.

Actual maximums (Europe)

Friday 17th

Saturday 18th

Spain/S France

Thursday 16th

Friday 17th

Saturday 18th

SW France N-central Spain

With trough over Biscay, ridge core over NW France, strong winds blew from inland towards the coast driving temperatures past 41, even 42C widely along the coast Saturday, winds also accelerated as they crossed and downsloped the coastal mountains, enhancing the heating of already hot air.

Friday 17th maximum temperatures.

Pressure setup at the time of peak warmth!

As land heats, pressure lowers and heads towards the higher pressure over the nearby cool SST’s but this process was enhanced by position of LP offshore and high to the north which naturally draws winds west or southwest over SW France, N Spain.

Wind direction

Wind speed

Saturday 18th maximum temperatures

Spain’s highest temperature reached 44.7C and only 0.7C off the national June record.

https://twitter.com/ThierryGooseBC/status/1537898107215589376

Earliest 40C for France.

https://twitter.com/ThierryGooseBC/status/1537484880480653313

The following day saw a new June record set for the country with 43.4C reached at Pissos.

https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1538219825344000000

The low north of Scotland held the heat over England and Wales and kept it out of Ireland, NI and Scotland. Eventually it’s associated cold front would sink south and drive the heat completely out of the UK.

Even on the day of peak heat for the UK, the NW to SE thermal gradient was noteworthy.

As the front nudged it’s way across the channel, so the 24-hour drop was impressive and gradient was impressive between coast and 100 miles inland over France.

https://twitter.com/MarkVogan/status/1538176168255438848

https://twitter.com/MarkVogan/status/1538224661997228033

https://twitter.com/catinsight/status/1538213689114906624

The strong surface gradient was reflected above!

https://twitter.com/MarkVogan/status/1537842415326969857

The UK’s max was 32.7C, a far cry from the June record of 35.

Perspective…

https://twitter.com/Harry_Hardrada/status/1538129851860779008

While UK largely escaped (esp Ireland, NI and Scotland), the Low Countries and central Europe was next for record breaking temperatures.

https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1538242645469720576

https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1538560536086032385

https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1537808581722095616

https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1538567179867766785

https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1538590650240835591

https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1538597483345059840

https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1538609294542876673

https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1538624543492808704

The German city of Cottbus yesterday made history with its hottest day on records and a maximum temperature of 39.2C. Today the weather couldn't be more different: the temperature it's nearly 14C and raining. Max. temperature could be 25C lower than yesterday. pic.twitter.com/iRTAHRgeKg

— Extreme Temperatures Around The World (@extremetemps) June 20, 2022

Exceptionally warm nights in Switzerland and Austria even at several hundreds meters above sea level there were tropical nights:at Wolfsegg it was the 4th warmest night since 1951,at Jauerling (950m asl !) the 3rd warmest since 1965,in Bärnkopf the warmest since 2003. https://t.co/z2i5a0Xa1U

— Extreme Temperatures Around The World (@extremetemps) June 20, 2022