A brutal heat wave is scorching Europe, shattering temperature records and claiming dozens of lives in recent days. As the mercury soars across Great Britain, Italy, and Spain, with parts of France bracing for at least 104 degrees Fahrenheit on June 23, Americans are left wondering if they’re next on the list.
There might be a direct link between this European inferno and what’s brewing across the Atlantic, especially along the US East Coast, says AccuWeather senior meteorologist Chad Merrill. Next week, parts of the East are expected to sizzle, potentially hitting heat wave conditions. And that’s just the start—more hot spells could morph into full-blown heat waves as summer rolls on, he warns.
Forecasters predict a summer where much of the United States will see temperatures above historical averages. The first days of official summer, beginning June 21, have already brought above-normal heat to the western US and Southern Plains, according to the National Weather Service. Over 26 million people were under heat advisories on June 23 in the Pacific Northwest, New Mexico, and Texas, while millions more faced extreme heat warnings in Arizona and California.
The Pacific Northwest is enduring its second heat wave this June, AccuWeather reports. Seattle and Portland saw temperatures hit the 90s from June 13 to June 15. This region, like Europe, is less prepared for such heat—only about half of homes in King County, Washington, which includes Seattle, have air conditioning, according to Axios data.
Europe’s heat wave stems from an “omega block,” a high-pressure area sandwiched between two low-pressure systems, named for its resemblance to the Greek letter omega, as Reuters explains. The consequences have been dire: around 40 people have drowned in France since mid-June while trying to cool off in canals and rivers, French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu reported. Two children, ages 2 and 4, died in a hot car in southeastern France. The heat has also forced transportation cancellations and early school closures in Great Britain, where older buildings can’t handle the heat.
European heat waves are particularly dangerous because of limited cooling options. Only about 20% of European households have air conditioning, compared to nearly 90% in the US. In Paris, residents face sleepless nights in apartments ill-suited for the heat, Reuters notes.
Merrill explains that when a large ridge of high pressure settles over Europe, driving record heat, a similar pattern emerges along the US East Coast due to the jet stream’s wavy nature. The coming hot weather in the East next week may be a “teleconnection” to the European heat wave, he says.
A heat wave is defined as unusually hot weather lasting more than two days, per the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. June has already seen heat waves in eastern US cities like Philadelphia, Merrill says. Looking ahead, July could bring heat waves to the central and western US, from the Dakotas to Nebraska and westward through Washington state. In August, the Northwest, Northeast, and parts of the Gulf Coast are most at risk.
The Pacific Northwest, like Europe, is less acclimated to intense heat. A deadly heat dome in June 2021 struck the region and parts of Canada, leading to hundreds of deaths, many among those without air conditioning. Merrill warns that drought and El Niño’s influence make the area more susceptible to heat waves this summer, potentially causing a “shock to the system” in the coming months.
