Title: The record breaking hot summer of 2017 in Southern Europe and Turkey: underlying atmospheric conditions

Authors: Meral Demirtaş

Addresses: Department of Meteorology, University of Samsun, 55420, Samsun, Turkey

Abstract: In 2017, extreme summer heatwaves affected the Euro-Mediterranean region with record breaking temperatures, which were approximately 4°C-10°C above base climate. We implemented a heatwave detection method and a blocking index. The results indicated that Southern Europe and Turkey were affected. There were approximately 40 heatwave days and seven heatwaves. June heatwaves were shorter but intense. Heatwaves were not as pronounced in July. In August, heatwaves affected a larger area and stayed longer, which were collocated with the 500-hPa geopotential height anomalies and the blocking. Summers may experience a pronounced increase in year-to-year seasonal variability in context of climate variability and change.

Keywords: climate variability; climate change; extreme weather; heatwaves; atmospheric blocking; Euro-Mediterranean region; Turkey.

DOI: 10.1504/IJGW.2022.126063

International Journal of Global Warming, 2022 Vol.28 No.2, pp.185 - 198

Received: 27 Aug 2021
Accepted: 16 Apr 2022
Published online: 10 Oct 2022 *

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