A marine heat wave in the Mediterranean Sea is combining with a powerful heat dome to cause Europe to swelter under a brutal early summer heat wave. This pattern, increasingly frequent as the planet warms, highlights the pronounced influence of Mediterranean marine heat waves in recent summers. Ocean heat is playing a significant role in spiking temperatures on land, contributing to deadly floods and stoking devastating fires.
Water temperatures in the Mediterranean Sea are up to 9 degrees above average for this time of year amid a significant marine heat wave. The most intense warming is present in the western Mediterranean, including just south of France. This is helping to cause high humidity to surge north and to keep temperatures elevated at night across the heat wave-affected regions.
Record Temperatures Across Europe
The heat wave, which also involves hot air flowing north from Africa, is reinforcing the marine heat wave in a feedback cycle. Temperatures have broken records in Spain and Portugal as swaths of Europe brace for more records to fall through Wednesday as the heat wave intensifies.
In Spain, the town of El Granado saw temperatures spike to 46 degrees Celsius (114.8 Fahrenheit) on Sunday, setting a new national record for June, according to Spain’s national meteorological service AEMET. Last month was Spain’s hottest June in recorded history, with temperatures that “pulverized records,” Aemet reported.
Meanwhile, in Portugal, a provisional temperature of 46.6 degrees Celsius (115.9 Fahrenheit) was recorded in the city of Mora, about 80 miles east of Lisbon, according to the country’s weather service IPMA, which would be a new national record for June.
“The current June-July heatwave is exposing millions of Europeans to high heat stress,” Samantha Burgess, strategic lead for climate at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasting, said in a statement.
Impact Across the Continent
Scorching heat is sweeping almost the entirety of France. Multiple towns and cities endured temperatures above 100 degrees on Monday, according to provisional recordings from Météo France. A red heat wave warning, the highest designation, is in place for 16 French départements Tuesday, including Île-de-France, where Paris is located. The Eiffel Tower summit is closed to tourists Tuesday and Wednesday due to the heat.
The United Kingdom is also baking, currently enduring its second heat wave of the summer. Temperatures pushed above 90 degrees on Monday, creating uncomfortable conditions in a country where fewer than 5% of homes have air conditioning.
Wildfires and Climate Change
Wildfires are sweeping several countries as temperatures spike. Fires broke out Sunday in Aude, in the southwest of France, burning nearly 400 acres. In Turkey, 50,000 people have been evacuated as firefighters tackle fierce blazes mostly in the western Izmir and Manisa provinces.
Temperature records are also poised to fall Tuesday and Wednesday in Germany as the heat dome expands east, before a series of relief-providing cold fronts begin to swing into northwestern Europe from the west.
Europe is the fastest-warming continent, and is warming at twice the rate of the rest of the world. Climate change is also leading to more frequent and intense marine heat waves.
Looking Forward
Human-caused climate change is causing heat waves to be more frequent, intense, and long-lasting. The current conditions in Europe underscore the urgent need for climate action to mitigate the impacts of such extreme weather patterns.
As Europe continues to grapple with these unprecedented heat levels, experts emphasize the importance of preparedness and adaptation strategies to protect vulnerable populations and infrastructure. The coming days will test the resilience of European countries as they face the dual challenges of extreme heat and its cascading effects.