Historic heatwave engulfs the Iberian Peninsula
Unusually warm April temperatures engulfed the Iberian Peninsula over the past couple of days, breaking numerous high-temperature records and setting a new (preliminary) European hottest April day on record.
The heatwave started on April 25, with the highest temperature of 36.1 °C (96.9 °F) recorded ad Xativa, Valencia, Spain, followed by 34.8 °C (94.6 °F) in Cordoba, 34.7 °C (94.4 °F) in Jerez de la Frontera and 29.2 °C (84.5 °F) in Tarifa — all new April records.
Temperatures in Spain rose even higher on April 26, with 37.3 °C (99.1 °F) recorded in El Granado, 37.1 °C (98.7 °F) in Moron de la Frontera, 37.0 °C (98.6 °F) in Seville, 36.7 °C (98 °F) in Ecija, 36.6 °C (97.8 °F) in Cordoba, 35.8 °C (96.4 °F) in Huelva, 34.4 °C (93.2 °F) in Granada, and 33.4 °C (92.1 °F) in Badajoz, according to weather historian Maximiliano Herrera.
Temperatures in Portugal on April 26 were reaching 35 °C (95 °F) but on April 27 the country registered 36.5 °C (97.7 °F) at Castro Verde, setting the country’s new (preliminary) highest April temperature on record. The previous record was 36.3 °C (97.3 °F) set in Santarem in April 1997.
On April 27, the temperature at Cordoba Airport in Spain reached 38.7 °C (101.6 °F), setting the new European highest temperature for the month of April (preliminary). The previous record was 38.6 °C (101.4 °F) set in Elche in 2011. However, the temperature in Cordoba continued rising after breaking the record and was going for the 39.0 °C (102.2 °F) semi-official Caemet record.
The heatwave was also affecting northern Africa during the same period. Particularly Morocco where multiple new April records were also set.
At the same time, central and eastern Europe was experiencing unusually cold temperatures, with minimum temperatures around 0 °C (32 °F) in some parts of the Balkans.
In Serbia, for example, multiple locations recorded frost 5 cm (2 inches) above ground and even -1 °C (30.2 °F) 2 m (6.5 feet) above ground on the morning of April 27. On the same day, Karajukića Bunari in SW Serbia recorded -3.2 °C (26.2 °F) while Kosanica in northern Montenegro recorded -8.1 °C (17.4 °F).
The heatwave will continue affecting the Iberian Peninsula on April 28 and spread NE into southern France and further east before easing by May 1.
Featured image credit: GFS/TropicalTidbits (2m Temperature Anomaly – April 27, 2023)
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The beginning of the Chastisement for the apostate west Europe countries.
Currently there is an awful drought in the southern France. The 2022 autumn rains were very scarce and only a few millimeters fell since mid december until now.