A vast region across western Europe is experiencing a record-breaking heatwave. Heatwave conditions have already caused flash floods and forest fires, grounded planes and buckled train tracks and led to school closures and warnings over air quality. As the mercury continues to soar, with potentially deadly consequences, we take a quick glance at what is behind the worst European heatwave since 2003. Heatwaves across northern Europe occur when an area of persistent high pressure builds up over the British Isles. This draws up hot air from northern Africa, Portugal and Spain. This raises temperatures and increases humidity, creating deadly heatwave conditions. The heatwave will be at its worst on Thursday 27/06 and Friday 28/06. Meteorologists have described this heatwave as ’hell’. Maximum temperatures across Spain, France, Germany and Poland have exceeded 40 C. Maximum temperatures across a number of other countries exceeded 35 C. The hottest city on Friday 28/06 will Zaragoza in Spain, with a high in excess of 45 C. These sweltering temperatures have broken decade old records of maximum June temperatures across western Europe. The Maltese Islands is not to be affected by this particular heatwave, even though temperatures are hot.

Reġjun vast fil-punent ta’ l-Ewropa jinsab għaddej minn mewġa ta’ sħana rekord. Din il-mewġa ta’ sħana diġa kkaġunat għargħar u nirien, waqqfet ajruplani u għamlet ħsarat fis-sistema tal-ferroviji, kif ukoll wasslet biex ingħalqu skejjel u nħarġu twissijiet ta’ kwalita’ ta’ arja baxxa. It-temperatura se jkomplu jogħlew, b’konsegwenzi potenzjalment fatali. Aħna se nagħtu daqqa ta’ għajn lejn x’inhu jikkawża l-agħar mewġa ta’ sħana sa minn l-2003. Mewġa ta’ sħana lejn it-tramuntana ta’ l-Ewropa hija kkawżata minn sistema ta’ pressjoni għolja persistenti fuq ir-Renju Unit. Din tiġbed arja taħraq minn l-Afrika ta’ Fuq, il-Portugall u Spanja. Din twassal biex it-temperaturi jiżdiedu ġmielhom u l-umdita titla għal livelli għoljin ferm. Din il-kumbinazzjoni twassal għal sitwazzjoni perikoluża immens. L-agħar ta’ din il-mewġa ta’ sħana se jintlaħaq il-Ħamis 27/06 u l-Ġimgħa 28/06. Metejoroloġisti ddeskrivew il-mewġa ta’ sħana bħala ‘infern’. Temperaturi massimi fi Spanja, Franza, il-Ġermanja u l-Polonja qabżu l-40 C. Numru ta’ pajjiżi oħrajn raw temperaturi massimi ta’ aktar minn 35 C. L-aktar belt taħraq nhar il-Ġimgħa 28/06 se tkun Żaragoża fi Spanja, bl-ogħla ta’ aktar minn 45 C. Dawn it-temperaturi kisru rekords ta’ temperaturi massimi f’Ġunju li kien ilhom hemm snin twal. Minkejja li t-temperaturi fil-Gżejjer Maltin huma għoljin, mhux se nkunu qed niġu affetwati minn din il-mewġa ta’ sħana.