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Why is it so hot in Europe?

Italy is just the latest on a growing list of countries to experience their highest temperature on record this year.

Why is it so hot in Europe?

In what has been an exceptional summer across huge swathes of the Northern Hemisphere, the temperature of 48.8C / 120F recorded on Sicily will not onl

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In what has been an exceptional summer across huge swathes of the Northern Hemisphere, the temperature of 48.8C / 120F recorded on Sicily will not only be a national record if it is accepted, but it’ll also surpass the European record of 48.0C recorded in Greece in 1977.

Extreme temperatures need to be verified by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). A special committee will scrutinise how the temperature was recorded to ensure its accuracy. This includes checking whether the equipment meets WMO standards, how the measurement was taken, whether there could be any external influences on the temperature reading, and also if it fits in with nearby observations.

It is a process that can take months, but whether it meets the criteria or not, the extreme nature of the heat being experienced in parts of the Mediterranean at the moment cannot be denied.

Temperature anomaly across Europe

Heat earlier in the month across Greece and Turkey may have moderated, but in recent days an area of high pressure over north Africa has sent temperatures soaring to record levels there.

Drawing up warm air from the Sahara initially, strong sunshine overhead has heated up the dry ground and subsequently the air above it to temperatures exceeding 50C. The development of a southwesterly wind then took some of that heat in the direction of Sicily and southern Italy. The story of Mediterranean heat doesn’t end there though.

Spain could see its highest temperature on record

As high pressure shifts a bit further north over the coming days, developing southerly winds across Spain will deliver a surge of searing heat to the country. With temperatures across inland areas of the south forecast to peak this weekend at 47 or 48 Celsius the current national record of 47.3C could be broken.

The extent, severity and longevity of heatwaves this summer all tie in with warnings from climate scientists of what would happen as global temperatures rise, and with the summer not yet over, will any more countries be added to the records list?

Fonte: BBC

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