Heatwave set to return to Western Europe

Temperatures are expected to exceed 30C in coming days.

Sunbathers sit in the sunshine on the South Beach, Tenby, Wales
A large area of high pressure is becoming established across much of the region [Reuters/Rebecca Naden]

A large slice of Western Europe looks set to experience heatwave conditions in the coming days. Temperatures from Portugal to Poland are expected to reach the 30C mark.

A large area of high pressure is becoming established across much of the region. Weather fronts, and the attendant cool Atlantic breezes, are being increasingly confined to northwestern parts of the UK. [So if you are reading this in Edinburgh or Glasgow, sorry, you will probably see temperatures no higher than 16C in the coming days.]

The warmer air is coming from the south or southeast, meaning that very warm air from the Mediterranean and Africa is making northward progress.

Many areas are expected to see a steady increase in temperatures towards the weekend.

Temperatures in London and Paris are expected to reach 32 and 35C respectively, by Friday.

Across the Iberian Peninsula, there will be little change to the persistent warm weather that has been ongoing since early July.

The Spanish capital, Madrid, has only failed to record a maximum temperature of at least 30C on one occasion this month. Temperatures have generally reached 34 to 35C on most days.

Throughout July and August, temperatures in southern parts of both Spain and Portugal have exceeded 40C, prompting the issue of heatwave warnings.

Further east, Berlin is expected to see weekend temperatures reach 31C. Warsaw, Poland will come close to 30C by Sunday, and Kiev, Ukraine will also feel the 30C heat, although people here may have to wait until Sunday or Monday for that to happen.

It is often the case that hot summer weather is brought to an abrupt end by severe thunderstorms. Currently, there is a high risk of severe storms in Southern Italy and across the Adriatic Sea, into the Dalmatian coast. In the coming days, the risk of thunderstorms will increase more widely across the continent.

A return to more typical late August weather conditions is expected later next week.

Source: Al Jazeera, News Agencies