Heat Dome May Return to Europe Next Week, Bringing High 30s to Spain and France

A heat dome, similar to the one observed at the end of May, is projected to re-emerge in Europe next week. While Ireland is not expected to experience severe heat, regions of Spain and France could see temperatures climb into the high 30s, potentially reaching the low 40s Celsius.

Last month’s heat wave was attributed to a “heat dome” — a mass of warm air originating from northern Africa, which became trapped under a high-pressure system over the continent. This event contributed to Ireland recording its third-warmest spring on record.

Met Éireann meteorologist Siobhán Ryan elaborated on the phenomenon, explaining that high pressure involves “falling air” that does not ascend. She stated, «That means that the air heats day on day, the same air, so you’re starting from a higher base each and every day.» Ryan added, «It’s basically creating a continual heating up of the air, and it might be only marginal, but generally for a lot of the area that it affects, it means the temperature will continue to steadily rise for the main.»

For Ireland, the final week of June is anticipated to bring settled weather under high pressure. Although specific details remain uncertain, Met Éireann forecasts temperatures to be «a little higher than normal» for this period, possibly reaching the low 20s in certain areas. Forecasters in the UK predict temperatures could reach 30 degrees Celsius. Concurrently, Auxerre in northeastern France might experience a high of 41 degrees Celsius on Monday afternoon, as the country is already under a Status Yellow warning for high temperatures in parts of its south and southeast. Southern and central Spain are also expecting comparable high temperatures.