Thursday, June 27, 2019

Dangerous Europe heat wave: June record highs fall in Germany, Poland, Czech Republic

By Eric Leister, AccuWeather senior meteorologist



Areas from Spain to France are in the throes of a dangerous heat wave and will remain under oppressive conditions in the coming days. The scorching heat toppled June temperature records in three countries.
In an effort to prevent the repeat of the tragic 2003 heat wave, which claimed the lives of nearly 15,000 people in France, local officials have taken multiple steps to ensure the safety of residents and tourists. The combination of heat and humidity has already reached levels capable of causing heat-related illnesses throughout western Europe.
In Paris, more than 1,000 new drinking fountains were installed and charities have agreed to hand out water bottles to the homeless, according to France 24.
Europe Heat AP 6/26
People cool off in a fountain during a hot summer day, in Pamplona, northern Spain, Tuesday, June, 25, 2019. Hot air from Africa is bringing a heat wave to Europe, prompting health warnings about Sahara Desert dust and exceptionally high temperatures in Spain. (AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos)
The city has also kept parks and swimming pools open later in an effort to give people more ways to cool off.
The Associated Press reported that French Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer ordered national exams taken by students heading to high school be postponed from Thursday and Friday to next week due to the extreme heat.
Multiple locations across France saw temperatures reach 38 C (100 F) on Wednesday, including Avignon, Clermont-Ferrand and Agen.
The temperature in Paris climbed to 34 C (93 F), making it the hottest day of the year so far for the city.
In Germany, Coschen station (Berlin-Brandenburg) reached 38.6 C (101.5 F) on Wednesday, the highest temperature recorded in the country during the month of June.
A June record high was also set in Poland when temperatures soared to 38.2 C (100.8 F) at Radzyń on Wednesday. A similar feat occurred in the Czech Republic as Doksany recorded a high of 38.9 C (102.0 F). The country's previous record June high was 38.2 C (100.8 F), which was set at Brno-Žabovřesky in 22 June 2000.
Multiple days of extreme heat, combined with warm nights, will not allow buildings and homes without air conditioning to cool off, creating uncomfortable sleeping conditions and also raising the risk of heat-related illnesses.
High temperatures may soar to 41 C (105 F) in parts of central and southern France on Thursday. Friday could be the hottest day of the week, as temperatures climb to near 42 C (107 F) across the interior of southeast France. AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures may briefly climb above 43 C (110 F) in these locations when factoring in the combination of temperature, humidity and strong June sunshine.
"The difference with 2003 is the very high humidity this year, which means it will feel much hotter than the temperature shown by the thermometer and so the discomfort felt will be greater than in 2003," France's Health Minister Agnès Buzyn told France 24. City officials have also handed out thousands of water bottles to homeless people in the French capital.
Temperatures may go so high that all-time records could fall. The current national record high temperature for June stands at 41.5 C (106.7 F), registered near Narbonne in southern France in June 2003.
Outdoor activities should be limited during the hottest times of the day and anyone that must be outdoors should drink plenty of water and limit the amount of exposure to sunshine.
Significant cooling will occur across northern France from Sunday into Monday. Some relief will come to southern parts of the country; however, it will remain unseasonably hot.
The heat could also be a problem for anyone attending Women's World Cup matches taking place in France through next week.
Spain will also bake in the brutal heat in the coming days as temperatures climb to around 40 C (104 F) each day through Sunday in Madrid.
The hottest locations across the country could have temperatures of 42-43 C (108-110 F) each day.
Daily record high temperatures were reported across Germany on Tuesday and Wednesday and the country's all-time June high temperature record was shattered on Wednesday as temperatures soared.
The former June record was 38.5 (101.3 F) set in Buhlertal in 1947. A new record was set at Coschen station (Berlin-Brandenburg) as the mercury reached 38.6 C (101.5 F) on Wednesday afternoon. Other locations across the country may climb even higher before the end of the day.
The country's all-time highest temperature of 40.3 C (104.5 F) was set in Kitzingen on August 7, 2015.
Authorities in Germany have put temporary speed limits in place on several stretches of the famous Autobahn amid fears the extreme heat could cause roadways to warp or break apart as vehicles speed over them, according to Deutsche Welle. In eastern Germany, police pulled over a moped rider who was wearing nothing but a helmet. When cops questioned the man about his complete lack of clothing, he cited that warm temperatures as his motivation for riding in the buff, according to a post that included photos of the naked rider shared by the police on Twitter.

A brief reprieve from the heat will be welcome from Belgium and Netherlands to Germany and Poland on Thursday and Friday. While it will remain unseasonably warm across the Balkan Peninsula on Thursday, the cooler air will overspread the region on Friday.
The arrival of the cooler air may be preceded by locally severe thunderstorms from northern Poland into the Baltic states on Wednesday, and from Hungary to Ukraine on Thursday. These storms will be capable of producing flash flooding, hail and damaging winds.
A brief surge of heat will build back into areas from Germany to Poland and Austria on Sunday before temperatures lower again next week.
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