A scorching heatwave now intensifies across the southern half of Europe; with +45°C coming for Spain, Italy, and Greece as we head into next week

By Marko Korosec From Severe Weather Europe

The southern half of Europe was experiencing scorching heat this week, but a strengthening heat dome over the Mediterranean will soon worsen the situation. It will induce more extreme heat across the southern half of Europe in the following days. The strongest heatwave of the summer of 2023 continues and will bring even higher temperatures, reaching nearly +45 °C in Spain, Italy, and Greece.

Over the weekend, some relief came with the temporarily mixed air mass from the recent severe weather outbreaks across south-central Europe. However, it won’t last long. The Mediterranean is overheating again. The following days will bring extremely high temperatures for many countries in the south, Spain, Italy, and later on Greece as well.

The heat has already been intensifying across the Iberian peninsula, southern Italy, Greece, and western Turkey on Saturday. The eastern coasts of the Aegean Sea experienced arid air mass from the Turkish plateau, pushing temperatures just shy below +45 °C.

Up to +40 °C was also again reported from eastern Spain. The upper 30s were observed in southern Italy. Temperatures surpassing 45 °C continued over Tunisia. This heat is gradually taking its turn farther north and east early next week and continue towards the weekend.

After Monday, temperatures are forecast to climb into the low to mid-40 °C across parts of Spain and southern Portugal, south-central Italy, and later over the south of Balkans, Greece in Particular.

Although Europe is already experiencing a powerful heatwave this month, the forecasted temperatures will be the highest of the summer season, especially for South Europe, Italy in particular. The animation below reveals the re-strengthening heat dome, leading to extreme heatwave gradually expanding into the Mediterranean, and the rest of southern Europe is attached.

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