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Extreme Heat Alert for Spain, Portugal and most of France (5-8 Aug)

  • 03-08-2016 6:12am
    #1
    Registered Users Posts: 14,279 ✭✭✭✭M.T. Cranium


    Be aware if travelling to any parts of Spain, Portugal or France (southern two thirds) that extreme heat will develop over the region later this week and peak over the weekend. Highs could reach 43 to 46 C in some places (inland from coasts, but temperatures will be sweltering almost everywhere).

    This heat will be less intense over northern France and any parts of southern England, as some of the very warm air is drawn north around Friday to Sunday, and for Ireland the peak of the warmth might better be described as a welcome warm spell than a heat wave. It may reach 24 C in Leinster over the weekend and 28 to 30 in southern England. In Paris the highs may reach 33-36 C, not quite as severe as the August 2003 killer heat wave there. But those conditions could develop further south in France.
    This heat wave is not expected to be overly intense for central Europe, it is more focused on the western Mediterranean.

    The more intense heat further south is not just due to latitude, it's a somewhat separate air mass phenomenon caused by a rare advection of full Saharan heat from the southeast across the Iberian peninsula and subsidence under a massive upper level high. That high, for weather conscious readers, attains near-record parameters by Saturday over Portugal with heights approaching 600 dm. A more "normal" summer upper level high at 500 millibars would reach perhaps 595 dm.

    I'm not sure what the current fire situation might be in the Iberian peninsula but if there are already any fires burning, these could become very severe especially in regions like northern Portugal where the circulation will force hot air to gust out of valleys into the Atlantic.

    If you have any plans to travel to the region or happen to be there now and plan to travel home by road in the period indicated, be aware that severe heat could make your travels very uncomfortable and potentially dangerous.

    Before signing off here, I want to underscore that this is a forecast for regions of southern Europe and should not be quoted as a forecast of a heat wave in Ireland -- the operative term here would be warm spell.

    It would be interesting if anyone who happens to be in that region over the coming heat wave period could post some observations but I will make an effort to gather some airport observations during the hot spell.


Comments

  • Closed Accounts Posts: 18,268 ✭✭✭✭ David Damaged Youngster


    Thanks for the warning MT.
    Currently in Lisbon and yesterday was definitely warmer than the weekend. Temperature hit 30C.
    Today looks like another scorcher.
    Will be traveling north on Friday with air con in maximum.


  • Registered Users Posts: 929 ✭✭✭laoisman11


    It's striking that national weather forecasts in France and Spain are not talking about this at all. It has to be said that both their weather warning advisories are confined to a 3 day window, but looking at the 10 day temperature prediction of cities in inland areas in either Spain or France, they don't show anything out of the normal.

    Screenshot of TF1's 6 day forecast:
    66b2xl.png


  • Registered Users Posts: 14,279 ✭✭✭✭M.T. Cranium


    I'm sure they're used to it being hot, but I think it will be an issue for Portugal and adjacent parts of Spain as this heat is being gradually forced west by an expanding upper level ridge. Today's highest temperatures in Spain were around 38 C in some central regions. I noticed a 43 C reading just inland from the Med in northern Algeria with high dew points, that is probably the core of this heat building up.

    Although the alert mentions 5th to 8th, the heat will continue at similar levels across the southern half of the Iberian peninsula on 9th and 10th while being gradually expelled from all parts of France and then northern Spain by the colder air that is going to make an appearance here on Monday 8th and then sink much further south.

    By the way, latest guidance indicates that this cooling period will only last a few days and then a return to above normal temperatures is indicated.


  • Registered Users Posts: 369 ✭✭Vinculus


    I live in the province of Pontevedra in Galicia, just a few kilometres north of the Portuguese border. Yesterday afternoon a heavy band of low cloud came rushing down from the north west which thankfully helped lower the temperature quite a bit and I awoke this morning to find that it had rained during the night, not a lot but it's the first rain we've had since early June. This appears just to be a bit of a rest bite and temperatures are to rise again in Galicia over the next 24 hours especially here in Pontevedra.

    Thankfully the annual fiesta takes place in our village this weekend so I won't have to worry about not being able to sleep with the heat.

    Edit: It's completely overcast now with occasional showers. Must say that I'm happy to see the rain and clouds again.


  • Registered Users Posts: 5,853 ✭✭✭Storm 10


    Sister lives in Fuengirola near Malaga for the past 20 years and they always get a warning for extreme heat but she tells me they have no warnings for heat this weekend or next week. they also get warnings for possible forest fires due heat but again nothing for this.

    You can check the temperatures in Fuengirola on these webcams temperature at the bottom

    Link: https://www.webcamfuengirola.com/


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 18,268 ✭✭✭✭ David Damaged Youngster


    Sinatra had cloud yesterday which was nice along with a breeze as it's so high up.
    Had cloud in Lisbon this morning but it disappeared with temperatures hitting 31.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,764 ✭✭✭Bsal


    Today's highs in Spain

    8a7ca5cb645aa69e993d4842ee7329f6.png


  • Registered Users Posts: 14,279 ✭✭✭✭M.T. Cranium


    Thanks for posting those, I had been looking at hourly reports on meteociel maps and noted the 40 which is on the south coast, about 38-39 generally from Seville to Granada, but today wasn't really showing the extreme parameters on maps compared to next four days.

    The core of this intense heat will intensify, I think, to about 42-44 at least, and spread into southern Portugal over the weekend. Sea breezes may suppress it in some cases but with a stronger east wind indicated, the heat may make it almost to the beachfronts.

    Looking at present and forecast 500 mb maps, the change over 48 hours is +10 dm with a closed 600 contour, something very rarely seen. That will be over northern Portugal on Saturday night. The 850 mb temps today have peaked around 27 C and this parameter seems set to return each day although the focus shifts west, however as the air mass dries out that same 850 will support increasing temperatures.

    Probably we could say that in Barcelona and southwest France the effects of this extreme heat will be less than extraordinary so really the focus would be on the part of Spain south of Madrid to Valencia, and the southern and central parts of Portugal although eventually some very high readings will be found in northwest Spain and northern Portugal towards Monday.

    I think in relative terms, if this becomes any sort of news story, it will focus mostly on Portugal. I looked up the normal midsummer highs, they range from 31 near Lisbon to 39 in Seville and 33 in Madrid, so if all of these ran close to 40, it would be closer to all-time records (41 or 42) in Lisbon. The all time records in Seville are closer to 47 C.


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,664 ✭✭✭CelticRambler


    laoisman11 wrote: »
    It's striking that national weather forecasts in France and Spain are not talking about this at all. ... looking at the 10 day temperature prediction of cities in inland areas in either Spain or France, they don't show anything out of the normal.

    We've already had temperatures in the 39s/40s (40.2°C, in line with forecasts, on the 19/07) so no, there's nothing remarkable about next week, viewed from here. In fact the natives are saying it's a bit chilly for the time of year!


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,764 ✭✭✭Bsal


    Malaga airport topped out at 41.4 C in the end, only beaten by a town called Coin to the west of Malaga at 41.6 C.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 1,003 ✭✭✭Lucreto


    Bsal wrote: »
    Malaga airport topped out at 41.4 C in the end, only beaten by a town called Coin to the west of Malaga at 41.6 C.

    I have a friend working in Malaga and he can confirm the heat. It's 1am over there and it's still 32C.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 18,268 ✭✭✭✭ David Damaged Youngster


    Lucreto wrote: »
    I have a friend working in Malaga and he can confirm the heat. It's 1am over there and it's still 32C.
    Temp in Lisbon had dropped to 21 at 1100 last night.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,764 ✭✭✭Bsal


    Las Palmas earlier 43.1 C.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,003 ✭✭✭Lucreto


    Temp in Lisbon had dropped to 21 at 1100 last night.

    Only going by my friends experience

    http://imgur.com/a/AL4ks


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,764 ✭✭✭Bsal


    Top 10 for Spain today all from the Canaries

    c7cdf799be8895c912f272b98f02fe6f.png


  • Registered Users Posts: 14,279 ✭✭✭✭M.T. Cranium


    I think Seville and a couple of nearby places also made 40 on Friday, the high 30s were edging across the border into Portugal. The wind direction around Lisbon has remained north ahead of the heat trough, even so it was close to 33 on Friday.

    Expecting another slight rise today and Sunday.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 18,268 ✭✭✭✭ David Damaged Youngster


    Went from 25 to 30 by yesterday tea time in Coimbra.
    Driving south last night we hit a cool spot of 20 at Santarem which rose to 25 as we got back to Lisbon at 1130 pm.

    Looks like another hot day when I get out of bed. Beach or an air conditioned restaurant...what to decide ;)


  • Registered Users Posts: 14,279 ✭✭✭✭M.T. Cranium


    41 at Badajoz the highest hourly (in mainland Spain), 39 in Portugal just across the border, about 35 in Lisbon.


  • Registered Users Posts: 68 ✭✭dring


    some nice breezes here in Barcelona, official high today at airport was 27.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 18,268 ✭✭✭✭ David Damaged Youngster


    41 at Badajoz the highest hourly (in mainland Spain), 39 in Portugal just across the border, about 35 in Lisbon.

    It was showing 29 on the temperature displays around Lisbon today. The car showed 32.
    Was 29 this evening. Definitely feels more clammy this evening.
    Heading for Faro in the morning and then home :(


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  • Registered Users Posts: 163 ✭✭Calmcookie84


    I am traveling to Portugal next Sunday. Will be driving inland from Lisbon to Evora, then to Mourão then across the border to Badajoz and then down to Setubal. I'll be spending the last week with family in Cascais. I hope the inland areas won't be murder.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,047 ✭✭✭Clonmel1000


    It was showing 29 on the temperature displays around Lisbon today. The car showed 32.
    Was 29 this evening. Definitely feels more clammy this evening.
    Heading for Faro in the morning and then home :(

    Head to the 'Costa del bray' you'll scarcely know the difference!!!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 18,268 ✭✭✭✭ David Damaged Youngster


    Drove down to Faro today. Temperature hit 35.5
    Will be back to the cold ( in comparison) in a few hours :(
    MT can you give us 35 in Dublin ??


  • Registered Users Posts: 14,279 ✭✭✭✭M.T. Cranium


    Not likely ... checked the Portuguese met site and found several readings between 41 and 42 mostly north of Lisbon, even Vigo in northwest Spain had 39 earlier, close to their all-time high. Probably two more days of this now, then significantly cooler.


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,016 ✭✭✭Elmer Blooker


    32c in Lisbon at 11pm!! ........ unbelievable.


  • Registered Users Posts: 13,016 ✭✭✭✭vibe666


    seems like an appropriate time to post this! :D



  • Registered Users Posts: 13,016 ✭✭✭✭vibe666


    in somewhat related news, ye's are all pansies! :p

    I spent months working through the aussie summer in the north west of WA, when the temps were in the 40's pretty much every day and sometimes didn't get below 30 degrees overnight.

    I never made it to a 50 degrees day outside (49 was the hottest day I had there), but the jacks were just portaloos and they would get into the high 50's on the really hot days as they were essentially solar ovens. that's hot enough that the air would sting your skin, like putting your face right up to a hot oven.:'(

    also bear in mind that regulations stated that everyone on-site must wear PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) at all times, full thick cotton trousers, thick long sleeve cotton shirt, steel toe capped boots and a hard hat, so we weren't in shorts and t-shirts either.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 18,268 ✭✭✭✭ David Damaged Youngster


    32c in Lisbon at 11pm!! ........ unbelievable.

    I hate you ;)
    I arrived back in Dublin last night to 16C and a howling wind.
    Though I've been in Lisbon with 39C. It's not pleasant.


  • Registered Users Posts: 929 ✭✭✭laoisman11


    It hit 37°C yesterday and Sunday in Montpellier (south France), nothing exceptional for here, but about 5 degrees higher than what they were predicting, so kudos MT.

    Still 27°C at 7 this morning, but it is meant to cool off today; hopefully I can get a decent night's sleep soon.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 163 ✭✭Calmcookie84


    In Vendas Novas. It's 32C here. It feels extremely hot


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