Climate & Environment
Southern Europe Sizzles Above 40C as UK Braces for Brief Warm Spell This Weekend
Parts of southern and central Europe are experiencing extreme heat this week, with temperatures surpassing 40C, while the UK is set for a short-lived warm spell over the weekend before cooler conditions return next week.
France and Spain have recorded some of the highest temperatures in Europe recently. On Thursday, El Granado in south-west Spain reached 45.7C (114F), marking the country's highest temperature so far this year. Such extreme heat occurring outside of July and August is considered unusual.
The intense heat originated earlier this week when hot, dusty air moved from north Africa onto the Iberian Peninsula, where it strengthened under clear skies and dry ground conditions. This heat has since expanded northward and eastward across other regions of southern Europe.
Orange extreme heat warnings remain active through Saturday in Spain, southern France, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Serbia. Temperatures in Spain's hottest areas are expected to stay above 40C through the weekend and into early next week, including in the normally cooler Erbo valley in the north, which usually sees temperatures near 20C at this time of year.
In southern France, including the Ardeche region, temperatures will remain in the high 30s over the coming days, with some areas possibly reaching 40C. Meanwhile, in Greece and Turkey, air temperatures have started to cool slightly this week, though highs in the high 30s could return briefly early next week. Sea surface temperatures in the central Mediterranean remain about 4C above average in some areas.
As southerly winds bring warmer air to the UK this weekend, temperatures will rise, though not to the extreme levels seen further south, partly due to increasing cloud cover and the temporary nature of the wind pattern. Sunday is expected to be the warmest day, despite some rain, particularly in the north-west.
England and Wales will generally see temperatures in the low to mid-20s Celsius, with parts of the south-east potentially reaching 27 or 28C. Scotland and Northern Ireland will experience cooler temperatures, ranging from about 15 to 20C, still notably above average for this time of year.
However, this warmth is expected to fade quickly as fresher Atlantic air and rain-bearing weather fronts move in next week. Forecasters say a full-scale heatwave for the UK remains unlikely over the next ten days.