Tale of 2 seasons to unfold across Europe this week

Courtney Spamer
·3 min read

The holding pattern across Europe will have residents on either ends of the continent experiencing very different forms of weather for the final days of May. While summerlike conditions flourish in one region, an early-spring chill will be in store for another location.

Sunny skies and a southerly wind will allow some places across Western Europe to bake in warmth for the next several days.

"For much of this week, temperatures will be running 2-4 C (3-7 F) degrees above normal over parts of Western Europe, including France, western Spain and Portugal," said AccuWeather Meteorologist Tyler Roys.

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Away from the coast, interior locations of France, Portugal and Spain are expected to surge more than 5 C (9 F) above normal for at least a day or two, leaving major cities like Dublin, London, Paris, Madrid and Lisbon all sweltering in heat more akin to summertime.

On Monday, several cities in Spain surpassed the 35 C (95 F) mark in the afternoon, including Badajoz, near the border with Portugal, as well as Sevilla and Cordoba in southern Spain. These locations are forecast to hover around the 33 C (91 F) throughout the week, temperatures that are normal for late June.

AP France Heat 7/23

Youngsters cool off at the Trocadero public fountain in Paris, Wednesday, June 26, 2019 amid a warm spell that swept through parts of France. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Through midweek, Paris is expected to soar to 25 C (77 F), a high temperature that is more normal for early July.

London's temperatures peaked at 26.5 C (80 F) on Tuesday afternoon and will hover around 24 C (75 F) through the end of the week. In southern England, late-May afternoon temperatures are normally around 17 C (63 F).

Dry conditions and temperatures this high helped to dry out vegetation enough that several fires broke out from southern England to Spain.

However, not all areas across Europe will be influenced by summer sunshine. Areas across eastern Europe will be hit by round after round of wet weather.

Rounds of showers will extend from Poland and Ukraine down to the Balkans, producing on-and-off wet weather throughout the week.

"The southern end of this wet areas, across the Balakans and even into Greece, will be hit with the steadiest rain into Wednesday night. Downpours could bring flash flooding into this area into midweek," said Roys.

At the same time, a dip in the jet stream will allow cool air to filter into the region. The combination of clouds, showers and cooler air will make for a drastic change, compared to normal.

"On this side of the pattern, Eastern Europe will remain 2-4 C (3-7 F) degrees cooler than normal for the final week of May," Roys said. This includes cities like Kiev and Sofia.

Roys added that the pocket of coldest air will settle across Ukraine and the Balkans, where several locations could have temperatures as much as 8 C (14 F) below normal for late May, particularly in the higher elevations and interior.

Bucharest can expect highs near 19 C (67 F) instead of a normal afternoon temperature of 24 C (76 F) while Belgrade's high temperature falls to 17 C (62 F), a chilling 7 C (13 F) below normal for late May.

Locations positioned under the jet stream, like Germany and Italy, are likely to have a day or two of showers this week, with near-normal temperatures for late May.

By the weekend and early next week, this contrasting pattern will start to wane, generating smaller pockets of warm and cool conditions.

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