Researchers warn: Europe on the verge of an exceptionally hot summer

Europe could experience an exceptionally hot summer this year, warns a recent study by researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology (MPI-M) in Germany, in collaboration with the University of Hamburg, reports DPA.

• North Atlantic, barometer for heatwave

According to the researchers, extreme heatwaves in Europe are often preceded by a progressive accumulation of heat in the North Atlantic, a phenomenon that manifests itself about three years in advance. This correlation allows for advanced seasonal forecasts for potentially dangerous summers. Using a sophisticated climate model developed by MPI-M, climatologists analyzed the European climate for the period 1962-2022. The simulated models also included scenarios that reflect the impact of the accumulation of thermal energy in the North Atlantic on summer temperatures in Europe.

• A warning for 2025

The results, published in the prestigious journal Geophysical Research Letters, indicate that heat buildup in the Atlantic is underway, increasing the likelihood that the summer of 2025 will be exceptionally hot across the European continent. "Such forecasts are essential not only for public health, but also for anticipating and mitigating the economic and ecological impacts of heat waves," the researchers warn.

• Heatwaves - an increasingly frequent phenomenon

The study highlights that summers with extreme temperatures have become 10 times more frequent compared to previous decades. The summer of 2003, one of the most severe ever recorded in Europe, remains a benchmark for the potential dangers generated by extreme temperatures: thousands of deaths, massive agricultural damage and huge pressure on infrastructure.