Dangerous heat wave to grip Europe, from Spain to Germany to Italy next week

By Eric Leister, AccuWeather senior meteorologist

Less than one month after a historic heat wave gripped more than half of Europe, another far-reaching heat wave will affect parts of the continent next week.

In the final week of June, France set its all-time high temperature and all-time June high temperatures were set in Germany, Austria, Hungary, Poland, Lithuania, Czech Republic and Slovakia.

This upcoming heat wave will be very similar to the one that shattered records in late June as a storm system stalls over the northeast Atlantic pulling hot air from northern Africa and Spain north and eastward across Europe.

The slow movement of this storm system will result in a prolonged heat wave with some locations enduring the dangerous heat for five days or more.

The core of the heat will be centered from Spain into France, Belgium, Netherlands, western Germany, Switzerland and northern Italy.

High temperatures near or above 38 C (100 F) are possible in Madrid, Lyon, and Paris. Maximum AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures of 40-43 C (104-110 F) are possible on the hottest days.

A girl drinks cool water in the Trocadero gardens near the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Friday, June 28, 2019. (AP Photo/Lewis Joly)

Warm nights with temperatures failing to fall below 21 C (70 F) will making sleeping difficult for anyone without air conditioning and also raise the risk for heat-related illnesses in the youth and elderly as buildings are unable to cool before intense sunshine causes temperatures to rise the following day.

Elsewhere, several days of temperatures in excess of 32 C (90 F) are forecast for London, Brussels, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Berlin, Munich and Milan.

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Residents should be sure to drink plenty of water, wear light clothing and avoid strenuous activities during the hottest times of the day. Residents should ensure that the elderly, children and pets have sufficient ways to stay cool. Finding shade is also important in order to get out of the direct rays of the sun.

Remember that locked vehicles without air conditioning can quickly become death traps for children and pets.

Relief from the heat will first come to areas from the United Kingdom to northern Spain, France and Germany late next week.

Cooler air will slowly filter across the remainder of central Europe by the end of next weekend.

Download the free AccuWeather app for more details on temperature trends in your community. Keep checking back for updates on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.