Heatwave to hit Czechia: thermometers could hit 40°C by the weekend

Temperatures in Czechia are set to soar sharply this week: meteorologists forecast daytime highs of up to 37°C in the latter half of the week, with the mercury possibly touching 40°C from Friday onward. The heat is being driven up from North Africa on a dry, hot southerly airflow.

On Monday, the country will still be under the influence of a retreating cold front — scattered rain and thunderstorms are expected from the northwest, while a brisk wind will make it feel cooler than it actually is. Morning temperatures will range from 15 to 19°C, rising to 20–24°C by afternoon, and up to 28°C in southern Moravia. Northwesterly and westerly gusts could reach 15 m/s (around 55 km/h), easing off by evening.

Tuesday will bring clearer skies and mostly sunny conditions. Mornings will feel refreshingly cool at 11–15°C, while afternoons warm up to 26–30°C — around 24°C in the north and northeast of the country.

From Wednesday, genuine tropical heat will take hold across Czechia. Daytime temperatures will climb to 29–33°C nationwide, and by Thursday they could reach 33–37°C, with the Elbe lowlands (Polabí) possibly seeing as much as 38°C. Nights will turn tropical too, with temperatures in many places staying above 20°C — giving bodies little chance to cool down from the scorching heat.

The peak of the heat is expected on Friday, when forecasters predict sunny skies with daytime highs of 35–39°C, and lowland areas could even hit 40°C. Isolated evening thunderstorms are possible, triggered by the intense daytime heating. Nights will remain muggy and tropical, with temperatures between 19 and 23°C.

Similarly exhausting heat, with daytime temperatures above 35°C, is expected to continue into the coming weekend. However, some forecast models suggest a wavy atmospheric front could approach Czechia, particularly Bohemia — if this scenario plays out, temperatures could dip slightly, though thunderstorms would become more frequent. Meteorologists say they will refine the weekend forecast as the week progresses.

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz