Distinct influences of large-scale circulation and regional feedbacks in two exceptional 2019 European heatwaves

Two separate heatwaves affected western Europe in June and July 2019, in particular France, Belgium, the Netherlands, western Germany and northeastern Spain. Here we compare the European 2019 summer temperatures to multi-proxy reconstructions of temperatures since 1500, and analyze the relative infl...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Sousa, Pedro M., Barriopedro Cepero, David, García Herrera, Ricardo Francisco, Ordóñez García, Carlos, Soares, M.M., Trigo, Ricardo M.
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2020
País:España
Institución:Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM)
Repositorio:Docta Complutense
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:docta.ucm.es:20.500.14352/8461
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/8461
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:52
Heat-wave
Atmospheric circulation
Temperature variability
Future climate
Air-pollution
Mega-heatwave
Summer
Extremes
Impacts
Drought
Física atmosférica
2501 Ciencias de la Atmósfera
Descripción
Sumario:Two separate heatwaves affected western Europe in June and July 2019, in particular France, Belgium, the Netherlands, western Germany and northeastern Spain. Here we compare the European 2019 summer temperatures to multi-proxy reconstructions of temperatures since 1500, and analyze the relative influence of synoptic conditions and soil-atmosphere feedbacks on both heatwave events. We find that a subtropical ridge was a common synoptic setup to both heatwaves. However, whereas the June heatwave was mostly associated with warm advection of a Saharan air mass intrusion, land surface processes were relevant for the magnitude of the July heatwave. Enhanced radiative fluxes and precipitation reduction during early July added to the soil moisture deficit that had been initiated by the June heatwave. We show this deficit was larger than it would have been in the past decades, pointing to climate change imprint. We conclude that land-atmosphere feedbacks as well as remote influences through northward propagation of dryness contributed to the exceptional intensity of the July heatwave.