Europe is currently experiencing more than just the summer season; it seems to have shifted beyond its natural climatic zone and found itself at the very heart of the scorching breath of the African desert. The tragic reports from Spain, where more than a thousand people have reportedly lost their lives due to these anomalous heatwaves, are in fact a clear indication of a serious disruption in the planet's atmospheric mechanisms. The mild and rainy European summers we have long been accustomed to have seemingly been replaced by an impenetrable wall of heat. But how has this relentless atmospheric "blockade" formed, and why have Europe's traditional air circulation patterns become so ineffective?
To better understand the scientific realities behind the issue, Crossmedia.az spoke with Hasan Nabiyev, Associate Professor at the Institute of Geography of the Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan, PhD in Geography, and climate scientist.
According to Hasan Nabiyev:
"The changes in the distribution of atmospheric pressure systems over Europe have led to the formation of a dry and extremely hot summer season. This situation can be explained as follows: the ridge of high pressure associated with the persistent anticyclone over Africa extends from the Mediterranean Sea northward to the Baltic Sea, acting as a blocking system. In other words, it prevents air masses from the Atlantic Ocean from moving eastward into Europe. Along this high-pressure ridge, hot air is transported from Africa toward the north. As a result, a sharp increase in temperatures has been observed across vast areas stretching as far as Scandinavia, including cities such as Minsk, Moscow, Warsaw, and throughout Germany. At the same time, precipitation decreases, and river water levels fall significantly.
At present, this high-pressure ridge is moving eastward. This is a natural process, as westerly air currents generally dominate over Europe. Therefore, it is also possible to expect rising temperatures in Azerbaijan. I would like to remind you that a similar heatwave occurred in 2021. At that time, temperatures reached 47°C in Portugal, people lost their lives in Italy and several other countries, and river water levels dropped dramatically."
