What is a heat dome? Weather system explained as UK and Europe hit by sweltering temperatures
Large swathes of the UK and Europe are sweltering through a heatwave, with England's southeast set to hit temperatures of 35C and parts of Europe including Paris, Rome and Athens to near 40C.
The extended period of above-average temperatures and tropical nights with minimum temperatures staying above 20C could be exacerbated by a heat dome.
Below we look at how the weather event is sending temperatures soaring across Europe.
What is a heat dome?
A heat dome is created when a high pressure area stays over the same area for days or potentially weeks, trapping very warm air underneath it, like a lid on a saucepan. Because hot air expands, it creates a 'dome' that bulges out.
This weather phenomenon causes temperatures to become hotter and hotter, building through the day and rise above what is considered normal, since warm air becomes compressed over a smaller region.
The ground warms as well and moisture evaporates, the RMS says, making it easier for temperatures to continue to rise.
These weather systems and their prolonged heat also increase the risk of wildfire and heat-related health problems, the Royal Meteorological Society (RMS) said.
Often these pressure systems move east to west, the RMS explains. Sometimes they can be blocked when the jet stream of strong winds high in the atmosphere weakens.
AccuWeather lead international forecaster Jason Nicholls said last week that a strong area of high pressure had built over western Europe from Morocco, bringing high temperatures. That system has extended up through Spain and Portugal into France, and spread across Germany and Italy over the weekend.
Temperatures are expected to drop by the end of the week across much of Europe.
What is the definition of a heatwave?
A heatwave is simply a prolonged period of abnormally high temperatures. What is considered an abnormally high temperature varies from place to place.
Several countries issued heatwave alerts ahead of the weekend including Spain, which experienced temperatures of up to 42C in parts.
In France, the meteorological office has issued an orange heatwave alert for nearly the entire country with temperatures expected to reach 'scorching levels'.
In Mediterranean cities and towns, the French meteorological office expects temperatures of up to 40C, while only regions near the English Channel and the border with Belgium will experience temperatures below 34C. Paris is forecast to reach 37C on Monday and Tuesday.
Lisbon is forecast to reach 41C on Monday, while temperatures in Rome are expected to peak at 37C on Wednesday and Thursday.
In the UK, temperatures could reach 35C in the southeast on Tuesday, Met Office forecaster Matthew Lenhert said. The June temperature record of 35.6C was last reached nearly 50 years ago, in 1976.
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Earl's Court tube station, a popular changeover point en route to Wimbledon, was packed with tennis fans who had flown in from all over the world. But an announcement over the PA system quickly put a dampener on the excitement after it was revealed the grounds were already 'at capacity' before 9am. Those who had opted for a slightly later lie-in faced disappointment then when they were told that non-ticket holders risk not getting in, or at best 'several hours' waiting in the queue with temperatures soaring for the rest of the day. An update from Wimbledon's official website on Monday read: 'Please be aware that the Queue for Day 1 - Monday 30th June - is very busy and to avoid disappointment we strongly advise you not to travel to the Grounds today.' On Sunday, firefighters mobilised in several European nations to tackle blazes as southern Europeans sought shelter from punishing temperatures of a heatwave that is set to intensify in the coming days. Fires broke out in France and Turkey Sunday, with other countries already on alert. Authorities from Spain to Portugal, Italy and France urged people to seek shelter and protect the most vulnerable from the summer's first major heatwave. Ambulances stood on standby near tourist hotspots as experts warned that such heatwaves, intensified by climate change, would become more frequent. In Turkey, forest fires broke out Sunday afternoon in the western Izmir province, fed by strong winds, local media reported. In France, meanwhile, wildfires broke out in the Corbieres area of Aude in the southwest, where temperatures topped 40C, forcing the evacuation of a campsite and abbey as a precaution. The country's weather service Meteo France put a record 84 out of its 101 regional departments on an orange heatwave alert - the second-highest - for Monday. Spain's weather service AEMET said temperatures in Extremadura and Andalusia, in the south and southwest, had reached up to 44C Sunday and issued a special warning amid the heatwave. Several areas in the southern half of Portugal, including Lisbon, are under a red warning until Monday night, said the Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA). A woman cools off her dogs in front of a large fan at a London Underground station A woman cools off in front of a large fan at a London Underground station People enjoy the hot weather as they swim at Peterborough Lido in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire A heat bomb has hit Europe with Spain's national weather agency issuing a special warning Temperatures are set to be higher than 34C tomorrow. This has only occurred three times in June since 1960 Two-thirds of Portugal was also on high alert Sunday for extreme heat and forest fires - as was the Italian island of Sicily, where firefighters tackled 15 blazes Saturday. In Italy, 21 cities were on high alert for extreme heat, including Milan, Naples, Venice, Florence and Rome. 'We were supposed to be visiting the Colosseum, but my mum nearly fainted,' said British tourist Anna Becker, who had travelled to Rome from a 'muggy, miserable' Verona. Hospital emergency departments across Italy have reported an uptick in heatstroke cases, according to Mario Guarino, vice president of the Italian Society of Emergency Medicine. 'We've seen around a 10 percent increase, mainly in cities that not only have very high temperatures but also a higher humidity rate. It is mainly elderly people, cancer patients or homeless people, presenting with dehydration, heat stroke, fatigue,' he said. In Venice, authorities offered free guided tours for people over 75s in air-conditioned museums and public buildings. Bologna has set up seven 'climate shelters' with air conditioning and drinking water, Florence has called on doctors to flag up the lonely and vulnerable, Ancona is delivering dehumidifiers to the needy, and Rome has offered free access to city swimming pools for those over 70. In Portugal, several areas in the southern half of the country, including the capital Lisbon, are under a red warning for heat until Monday night, according to the Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere. Bathers spend time in the sun on the beach in Scheveningen, The Hague A beach in the Netherlands where sunseekers are trying to escape the soaring temperatures One man sits under an umbrella to protect himself from the sun in the Hague, the Netherlands A woman uses a hand fan to cool off during the first summer heatwave in Seville, Spain Women cool off in a public fountain during the first summer heatwave in Seville, Spain Read More BREAKING NEWS Deadly 'heat dome' to sizzle Britain: 47C weather phenomenon hitting Europe will also bake the UK In France, experts warned that the heat was also severely impacting biodiversity. 'With this stifling heat, the temperature can exceed 40 degrees in some nests,' said Allain Bougrain-Dubourg, president of the League for the Protection of Birds. 'We are taking in birds in difficulty everywhere; our seven care centres are saturated,' he said. It is also attracting invasive species, which are thriving in the more tropical climes. The alert, which covered London, the East Midlands, South East, South West and East of England, will last until 6pm on Tuesday. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) also issued a yellow alert for Yorkshire and Humber and the West Midlands for the same time period, with the agency warning of significant impacts across health and social care services. An amber alert was previously issued for all regions in England on June 19, the first time it had been used since September 2023. An official heatwave is recorded when areas reach a certain temperature for three consecutive days, with thresholds varying from 25C to 28C in different parts of the UK. The intense heat is set to continue across Europe tomorrow with temperatures reaching 37C in France Read More Europeans warned to stay indoors as continent goes on high alert for 47C heat and forest fires London Fire Brigade assistant commissioner Thomas Goodall said: 'London is already facing its second heatwave of the year and we know that people will be looking forward to getting outside to enjoy the wonderful weather. 'But the high temperatures and low rainfall in recent months means the current risk of wildfires is severe. 'So far this year, firefighters have responded to around 14 wildfires in the capital. 'There have also been countless call outs to smaller fires involving grass, trees and in other outdoor spaces, as well as in people's gardens. 'During this latest heatwave, it is important everyone acts responsibly to prevent fires from occurring. 'As the weather has been so dry, it only takes a few sparks to lead to a fire spreading rapidly. 'In London, this is can be dangerous because so many of our green spaces lie close to homes and other properties.' There will be a 'marked difference' in north-western parts of the UK however, with cloud and heavy rain in parts of Northern Ireland and Scotland, where temperatures will stay in the mid to high teens, Mr Lenhert said. The hottest ever July 1 on record was in 2015, when the temperature hit 36.7C.
