European Heat Wave Gives Way to Violent Storms and Flooding

Severe storms are triggering flooding in parts of Europe following weeks of extreme heat, while temperatures on the Italian island of Sicily climb to 44C (111F).

A powerful low-pressure system delivered heavy precipitation as it moved east into central Europe on Tuesday, after dumping a month’s worth of rain across parts of England, according to Tom Morgan, a meteorologist with the UK Met Office.

Red alerts for rain and flooding have been issued across Denmark, threatening transport and homes. Orange storm warnings are in place along the Baltic Sea coasts of Germany and Poland.

Climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of extreme weather events from violent storms to wildfires on the world’s fastest-warming continent.

The low is set to expand and help collapse a dome of high pressure that’s fueling scorching temperatures in southeastern Europe. Before that change comes over the weekend, Greece and Italy are expected to reach highs of 43C and 44C, respectively.

The heat wave in Greece will peak Thursday or Friday, with the night time low in Athens not expected to fall below 30C. The capital and the surrounding Attica region have been added to a list of areas where outdoor labor is halted between noon and 5pm. Most of the Greek mainland is on high fire alert.

Greek Energy Minister Stavros Papastavrou said in an interview with Skai TV that the government has coordinated with power grid and distribution network operators to keep electricity supply stable amid soaring demand for cooling. Consumption is expected to surge 40% over the next week, according to Bloomberg models.

As the low-pressure moves south this week, it could spark even more powerful storms, supercharged by an unusually hot Mediterranean Sea, said Juan Jesús González Alemán, a meteorologist with Spanish national forecaster AEMET.