Early year heatwave - indicator for a hot summer 2026?

We just finished 2 plus weeks in Greek Peloponese where the weather was cooler and more rainy than usual.

Makes me think lots of variability.

To add to Uncle Thomas and Beth

This week's weather shows one thing - you can't trust automated weather apps which generalise large areas and show the weather as childish icons - no matter how much the phone the app is on cost! Start with the Jetstream forecast, which is available if you google it, the cartoon systems haven't caught up with this yet and it's still a good source for forecasting likely trends and for a few weeks. Trends meaning you cansay it's likely to be better on days 5-9 than now but will fade intil day 13 and then improve again - but nothing specific. By the way, the North Atlantic jetstream can also affect faster west-east flight times and the airlines use it, so if you are flying across to europe have a look at what is predicted, it may be very useful https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-51433720

Then find weather forecasts for up one week out, preferably with baromeric charts as an option- it doesn't really matter if you don't understand them, the lack of them should raise doubts. And definately be wary of weather forecasts that spend half their time telling you what happened yesterday, we know that already!

The headlines of the past few days in Europe will filter back to news stories in North America and Aus etc... They will tell you that London had the hottest May day since something or other, but they won't mention that across Britain the first 21 days of May were cooler, wetter and duller than usual and no better for tourists than it was at easter.

Thank you both for your posts.

The jetstreams are a good point, also causing flight turbulences. For cross-atlantic flights I recommend to have a look into the Westbound and Eastbound tracks of Turbulence Forecast.

Finally a question for summer weather of West and Mid Europe is whether a weather system is able to establish and defend its position. Typical ones are:

• Omega pattern (stable high-pressure weather)
• Southwest or south pattern (heat and humidity)
• West pattern (unpredictable and moderately warm)
• North or northwest pattern (cool summer)

For the Mediterranean Sea countries the ocean temperatures are another important factor.

A family insider: part of the last will of Uncle Thomas was that his beloved barograph (link to Wikipedia) should be handed over to the Meteo Institute of Free University of Berlin. I personally fulfilled his wish and enjoyed a little personal tour through the red and yellow brick weather tower of this scientific team (link to a public photo).

Weather is always a great diversion topic. March here did feel a bit warm and we got excited that a fairly tough and cold winter had finally ended. Then we got slapped down with some really cool days in April that extended into May. Finally a week or so ago the March weather returned and its beautiful again. Of course this is all just perception.

From a tourist point of view, plan your museums between 3 and 5 pm, if here, plan your time by the river 5pm till sunset. If you are out on a clear sunny day, choose which side of the street to walk on. Makes a huge difference. Sometimes its just hot, but most of the time in most locations you can work around it.

Arrived in Portugal on May 8. Moved steadily north and into Spain until 4 days ago. Was in Santiago de Compostela, now in Leon. Temps were decidedly cool, grey, and rainy in early May in Lisbon, but warmed up. Very pleasant in the mid 70's to 80 in the last few days. Will end up in Scandinavia in mid-June. Never been, so curious about what kind of weather I will encounter. These days, all bets are off, I suppose.

"UK records highest ever May temperature for second day in a row
Temperature reaches 35C at Heathrow on Tuesday after 34.8C high at Kew Gardens in London on Monday"

I saw a stat that the UK used to have .2% chance of experiencing 35 C day each year and that it is now 4% chance-- and by 2100, if trends continue, it will be nigh 100% chance. The take away is this: the new Miami is London!

Well, maybe not yet-- but booking places with AC is tad more important than it was back in Henry the VIII's day, I daresay.

Happy travels.

I've been thankful for my hotel with AC in London this past week. My friend didn't think it was necessary but I didn't want to take a chance. Friends were too hot to sleep well last night, I was comfortable.

Today's weather report showed the following temperature records for May in ° C:

• UK: 32.8 | 34.8 | 35.1
• France: 36.2 | 37.1 | 37.9

(Country: record so far | new record from Pentecost Monday | new record from today)

Southwest of France expects temperatures closer to 40° C until this weekend; still May.

One of the artists I follow on Patreon had to cancel her paint-along today because she said her studio in Devon UK was 100F and she just could not do it.