New Heatwave Heading for Europe: Up to 40°C in Some Areas

Southern Europe could see temperatures more than 10 degrees above the seasonal norm this week, as hot air from North Africa — where temperatures topped nearly 50°C last week — gradually pushes onto the continent. The heat will first hit the Iberian Peninsula, spread to Central Europe by the end of the week, and then move on to the Balkans.

As early as midweek, parts of Spain could see around 40°C — well above the norm for early September in the south of the country. By the weekend, similar temperatures are expected in southern France. In Italy, thermometers could hit around 38°C over the weekend, while the Balkans — particularly Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia — may see readings as high as 40°C over the weekend and into early next week.

Czechia Caught Between Two Scenarios

The outlook for Central Europe remains uncertain. Under one forecast scenario, warm air would spread across much of France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Czechia, where temperatures could climb to a tropical 30°C on Friday — with the heat potentially lasting into the following week. For comparison, the average maximum temperature in early September in Czechia is around 21°C.

Under the second scenario, cyclonic weather would dominate over northern Europe, pushing cold air much further south — in which case temperatures would end up nearly 10 degrees lower than in the first scenario. Meteorologists consider an intermediate outcome most likely: the country would be split in two, with the southern half warmer than average and the north and northeast noticeably cooler, in places even below average.

A Year of Records and Drought

Western Europe has been hit especially hard by heatwaves this year. Countries including Czechia, Germany, Austria, Denmark, Hungary and Slovakia have all broken all-time national temperature records, and in many countries this summer is likely to go down as the hottest ever recorded.

High temperatures combined with a lack of rainfall have caused severe drought across much of the continent. Major rivers, including the Rhine and the Danube, have dropped to historic lows, and the drought has fuelled devastating wildfires in several regions.

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz