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The third heat wave of the 2022 European summer season induced severe heat across many European countries between 01 - 05 August. Temperatures reached more than 40 °C in Spain. The highest temperature in Central Europe was reached on August 04, 2022, with 39.6 °C at Bad Kreuznach (Germany).
Differing from the first two heat waves of this summer season, the weather situation was controlled by a reasonable strong Iceland low for this time of year. A positive NAO-Index showed a stronger than usual pressure gradient between the Iceland low and the Azores high. In both heat waves preceding this heat wave, severe heat was induced through a combination of cut-off low close to the European Continent over the Atlantic Ocean and a highly amplified ridge over the continent. In this heat wave a broad ridge dominated the weather across many parts of continental Europe. On August 1, 2022, severe heat was already present across the Iberian Peninsula with highest temperature of 41.9 °C recorded at Moron De La Frontera (87 m). As the Iceland low moved southeastwards towards Continental Europe the ridge across Europe intensified and spread towards Western Russia. North of the Iberian Peninsula 850 hPa-temperatures reached above the 20 °C-mark, therefore enabling daytime maximum temperatures to get close to the 40 °C-mark.
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500hPa Geopotential and sea level pressure, 31.07.2022 00 UTC - 06.08.2022 00 UTC, source:
wetter3
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With the upper-level trough moving eastwards, the flow meridionalized between August 03, 2022, and August 05, 2022, and the temperature advection increased across Western and Central Europe. Firstly, across Southern France temperatures reached almost 40 °C on August 03. With the cold front of a surface low over the North Sea connected to the upper-level trough, temperature advection over Central Europe was further enhanced. On August 04, 2022, temperatures across most regions of Central Europe reached more than 35 °C, only stations at higher altitudes stayed below that threshold. With the highest temperature of 39.6 °C being recorded at Bad Kreuznach (Rhineland-Palatine). Over Western Germany 850 hPa-temperatures of up to 21 °C were recorded at 12 UTC, with very dry soils and dewpoints below the 10 °C-mark, daytime maximum temperature close to the 40 °C-mark were therefore possible in lower regions.
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Surface pressure and analyzed fronts over Europe 04.08.2022 12 UTC - 06.08.2022 00 UTC, source:
wetter3
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On August 04, 2022, in the afternoon hours convective activity was induced by the cold front and a convergence zone ahead of set cold front. Moving southeastwards across Central Europe and inducing locally heavy precipitation in the vicinity of the North Sea. During the nighttime hours convective activity developed over a small strip across southern North Rhine-Westphalia and Northern Rhineland-Palatine stretching northeastwards into Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Precipitation amounts only locally surpassed 10 mm, bringing only a slight relief to the ongoing drought across many parts of Continental Europe. In the afternoon and evening hours of August 05, 2022, convective activity once again developed over the Swabian Jura, moving eastwards along the Danube valley with local precipitation amounts reaching above 50 mm.
As no significant change in the general weather pattern over Europe followed the end of set heat wave, drought conditions further deteriorated leading to rivers as the Rhine running very low, possibly compromising economic activity in Germany due to reduced river shipping capacity.
Text: KG
August 10, 2022
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