UK weather: Europe suffers from heatwaves while the UK remains cool – what’s happening to the weather? | UK News

The longest day of the year is almost here, but there has been barely any sign of summer in the UK – while parts of Europe swelter in record heat.

Greece recorded its first heat wave last week, with temperatures rising by around 38ºC for more than three consecutive days.

It’s a huge contrast to the weather in the UK, which has been “disappointingly cold” so far this month, says Sky News meteorologist Steff Gaulter.

So what’s happening – and will our times finally get better?

A tale of two summers

The UK felt far from summer for much of June.

“It looks like we are one to three degrees below normal for this time of year,” said David Schultz, professor of Synoptic Meteorology at the University of Manchester. told Sky News.

This is because we had an area of ​​low pressure over us or winds being dragged in from the Arctic, explains Gaulter.

Colder weather has also affected other parts of northwestern Europe.

But while this was happening, southeastern Europe was covered by hot winds blowing from North Africa.

“The air in North Africa has been even warmer than usual this year, which has increased the temperature even further,” she says.

Is the weather in the UK expected to improve?

In most of the UK, the weather is expected to calm down for a while this week, says Gaulter.

But don’t get your hopes up for a heatwave – it’s likely to be a short-term reprieve before things get choppy again later in the week and into the weekend.

On Thursday – the longest day of the year – the Met Office predicts a dry day for most, reaching 21C and “feeling hot where you catch the sun”.

Where are the European hotspots?

Greece

Temperatures peaked at almost 45ºC (113ºF) on Thursday during Greece’s first recorded heat wave.

The definition in Greece for a heat wave is above 38ºC for three days or more, explains Gaulter – something that usually happens in July or August.

“This is the first time that a heat wave has hit Greece before June 15 and records in Athens date back to 1890,” she says.

Authorities closed the Acropolis and all other archaeological sites in the Greek capital on Wednesday and Thursday due to the heat.

Authorities were on high alert for forest fires, which have ravaged Greece, especially in the summer months, in recent decades. Temperatures are expected to rise again from this week, although not to heat wave levels.

Several tourists have died or gone missing on the Greek islands, many of them hiking in high temperatures.

O Body of missing American was found on Sundaya day after a Dutchman’s body was discovered, six days after he was last seen walking in scorching heat.

And authorities continue to search for three missing tourists in the Cyclades group of islands.

Cyprus

The island reportedly reached record temperatures in June, with temperatures exceeding 40C last week.

Two elderly people died due to the heat and three others are hospitalized, according to Cypriot health authorities.

Forest fires broke out near the capital Nicosia, where more than 2 square kilometers of forest were burned, threatening a village.

In the Paphos district, in the west of the island, 49 people from two communities were evacuated to hotels when a forest fire threatened their homes.

Peru

Temperatures in Turkey surpassed 40C last week, with 66 million people in the country exposed to extreme heat over a three-day period, according to Climate Central.

Istanbul authorities issued an extreme heat warning and forest fires broke out in at least seven locations, local media reported.

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Holiday booked at a hotspot? What to do

There are currently no Foreign Office travel warnings relating to hot weather in Europe.

However, the Foreign Office advises people traveling to countries where bushfires are common in summer to be cautious and follow advice from local authorities.

If you change your holiday plans due to the weather, this is unlikely to be covered by your travel insurance unless a travel warning is issued, so normal cancellation fees will apply.

Vacationers should follow heat precautions, including avoiding the sun in the middle of the day, staying hydrated and applying sunscreen.

And the rest of the summer?

Europe is expected to experience warmer than average temperatures in the second half of summer, according to forecasts from the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), which cover July to September.

The south of the continent is expected to be drier than average, while the far north is expected to be wetter than normal.

In terms of what the UK expects, Gaulter says there are “no clear signals either way” at this point.

“We’ll have to wait and see.”