Via Proteccion Civil.. Here we go.. Seems the blanket may actually stay off for a while soon now. Service the air conditioning, fill up the ice trays and be generous with the sun protection!
In little more than 24 hours we will start to bake and will say goodbye to fresh nights and pleasant days as summer is about to be switched on!
Temperatures will go up progressively, starting next week, some areas reaching the 35ºc mark,
Accuweather published a long range forecast. It may not be accurate bit this is what they said:-
The biggest story of the summer is likely to be the long-duration heat waves that will grip areas from Portugal and Spain to Poland and Hungary.
The heat will begin in June across the Iberian Peninsula before spreading north and eastward throughout the summer months.
The heat will be more persistent than during last summer, when record temperatures were recorded in parts of Portugal, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and Scandinavia, but generally lasted for only a week or so at a time.
Even when the most intense heat waves wane, it will be brief and temperatures will remain near or above normal before returning to dangerous levels once again.
High temperatures in excess of 38 C (100 F) will be possible from northern France, Belgium and Netherlands into Poland, Slovakia and Hungary.
The hottest locations throughout Portugal and Spain will see multi-day heat waves with temperatures peaking at or above 43 C (110 F).
It will be important for residents and visitors to take extra care in the heat to prevent illness. Drinking plenty of water, spending time in the shade and wearing light clothing will be necessary.
When possible, strenuous outdoor activity should be avoided during the hottest part of the day.
Children, the elderly and those with respiratory or cardiovascular health conditions should avoid spending time outside as much as possible when air quality alerts are issued.
Wildfires to threaten Spain, Portugal and the Alps
The intense heat waves and long spells of dry weather throughout the summer will bring a high risk for wildfires to much of western and central Europe.
The areas at greatest risk will be from northern Portugal into northern Spain and from the Alps into Germany and Czech Republic.
A wet winter and spring across much of western and central Europe will result in more vegetation than in previous years.
However, as dry weather prevails early in the summer, the stage will be set for a high wildfire risk during the second half of the season. The Iberian Peninsula will be at risk first due to building heat in June combined with little or no rainfall.
