Weather system analysis: Extreme cold air coming from northern Europe as Mediterranean sea surface continues to warm

Arab Weather - Meteorologists at the Arab Weather Regional Center are following the weather conditions in the Mediterranean Sea and the shape of the weather systems over the European continent. The experts at the Arab Weather Center said that the Mediterranean Sea has been witnessing a severe marine heat wave since the beginning of August 2024 and it continues to this day, which is still affecting the Mediterranean waters, causing a gradual rise in the surface temperature of the water. The surface temperature of the water exceeded the climatic averages by more than 5 degrees Celsius, especially in the central part of it, coinciding with the intensification of the coldness of the air masses coming from the north, which ignites the fuse of weather disturbances in Europe and North Africa.

Marine heatwave continues, Mediterranean sets temperature records recently

Forecasters at the Arab Weather Center indicated that readings from advanced computer modeling, which shows the temperature of water bodies, indicate that the Mediterranean Sea, like other water bodies, is witnessing a noticeable rise in the temperature of the water surface, as the temperature of some parts, especially in its center, has reached 31 degrees Celsius recently, which is a relatively hot and unusual temperature for the Mediterranean Sea, even breaking the record recorded in 2023, in which the water temperature reached about 30 degrees Celsius.

Rising Mediterranean temperatures affect weather patterns and disturbances

Meteorologists at the Arab Weather Center said that the rise in the temperature of the Mediterranean Sea leads to increased evaporation processes and injects large amounts of water vapor into the atmosphere, which increases the humidity of the air above the sea. This humid air can cause the formation of dense clouds and thunderstorms during the fall, during the passage of cold upper basins due to the sharp thermal differences that occur between the upper basins and the water temperature. Also, large temperature differences between the sea and the adjacent land can enhance the ascending and descending air currents, which increases atmospheric instability during the fall. It is known meteorologically that the greater the thermal differences, the more severe the atmospheric disturbances are and during which high-altitude thunderclouds are formed, which bring multiple weather phenomena such as severe hailstorms of large sizes and very heavy rainfall within a short period of time.

A rainstorm is forming in the western Mediterranean. Will it affect the Maghreb countries?

Very cold air masses are rushing into northern Europe and very cold upper basins are reaching the Mediterranean Sea.

As more weather changes this weekend, polar air is concentrated in the high latitudes and Atlantic storm activity is increasing as very cold air masses of polar origin pass into the warmer Atlantic waters.

The cold upper basins reach lower latitudes but gain more coldness in the different layers of the atmosphere, especially the upper ones, and thus affect the south of the European continent and cross the waters of the central Mediterranean, causing weather disturbances and heavy thunderstorms in several countries of Europe. During the crossing of the upper basins, new unstable weather conditions arise in Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria, accompanied by thunderstorms of varying intensity and hail showers at the end of the week.

Unusual movement of the atmosphere... tropical moisture reaches the Mediterranean and causes a severe rainstorm

Heavy snow to adorn the Alps over the weekend

In the same context, advanced computer outputs indicate that the Alps will be affected by a very cold air mass at the end of the week, accompanied by heavy and accumulated snowfall, which will decorate the mountain peaks in the most beautiful form, which we will see through the media, God willing. It is expected that temperatures will drop sharply in the Alps, to become below zero degrees Celsius by about 2-5 degrees Celsius, amid very cold weather.

God knows best.