Heat Remains Entrenched in Southern Europe, Storms to Roll From France to Poland

By Adam Douty, Meteorologist

July 20,2015; 9:52PM,EDT

 

 

Heat remains entrenched across southern Europe through midweek while thunderstorms target central Europe.
The core of the heat will scorch areas from Italy into the Balkan Peninsula through Tuesday. In central Italy, away from the influence of the Mediterranean Sea, temperatures will soar into the upper 30s C (upper 90s and lower 100s F). Florence, for example, is expected to see a high of 39 C (102 F) on Tuesday. Similar temperatures will last through most of the week.
Some relief will be found near the coast with highs in the lower 30s C (near 90 F), though this is still hotter than normal in many places. So far this month in Rome, the average temperature has been 2 degrees C (nearly 4 degrees F) hotter than normal.
Further to the east, temperature highs in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina are expected to rise into the lower to middle 30s C (lower to middle 90s F). Although this a little cooler than the heat felt over the weekend, it is still greater than 6 degrees C (10 degrees F) above average.

During the second half of the week, daily rounds of afternoon thunderstorms will bring relief to some areas along the Dynamic Alps and Apennines. However, these storms may also threaten with hail and gusty winds.
Across central Europe thunderstorms will develop on Wednesday from southern and eastern France through Switzerland, southern Germany and western Austria. These storms will become widespread in the afternoon and the strongest storms will produce torrential rainfall, damaging winds and hail.
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By Thursday these storms will move to the northeast impacting areas from the Alps into eastern Germany and Poland. Again the strongest storms will be capable of producing flash flooding, damaging winds and hail.
High pressure will bring dry weather to much of central Europe on Friday while showers and thunderstorms will remain a threat in the Alps.