Heading abroad on holiday when the UK is hot and sunny

If you're heading off abroad on holiday, it seems unfortunate that the UK weather has chosen this time in June to produce heat and brilliant sunshine. There are heatwave conditions for parts of England as there are elsewhere in western Europe, from the same plume of hot air. Spain, France and inland Portugal have felt this heat that has reached the UK, but it will ease for most of us on Sunday. Eastern England, London and Kent will still be very warm on Sunday, but it will be gone by Monday from here too.

If you are heading to the Mediterranean, France or the Canary Islands, what can you expect in the next few days?

Much of mainland Europe has settled weather under areas of high pressure. With little breeze or cloud, the strong June sunshine is just heating the air at the surface day by day. There has also been this plume of hot air through western Europe, and that has led to heatwave warnings for other countries as well as the UK.

 Météo France mentions that the very hot air mass is generating an early heatwave. This event is producing temperatures which we wouldn't usually see in the month of June. Temperatures above 30C is also unusual for the UK at this time in June. 

Warnings from Meteo France for Heatwave conditions (canicule) and Thunderstorms (orages) on Saturday

Paris will reach 34C on Saturday, a similar value to the maximum that is possible for England.  There is an early heatwave in western France. and in the Rhône and Isère regions. This daytime heat is accompanied by very warm nights with minimum temperatures sitting at 19 to 22C. Saturday will be the hottest day for France with 37 to possibly 39C in the west. 

There are thunderstorm warnings for SE France and across northern Italy, including Monaco, Nice, Lyon, Turin and Milan. Although these storms will be hit and miss, summer time thunderstorms in Europe can produce intense rainfall, with flash flooding, large hail and frequent lightning leading to sudden disruption. 

The plume of hot air will edge eastwards at the end of the weekend, fading for the UK. Paris will dip to 26C on Monday as the fresher Atlantic westerly flow arrives, but it’s only a brief dip. The hot air then moves over Germany and the Low Countries on Sunday. Onwards into Poland with temperatures rising at the start of the week in Vienna and Prague

Portugal has had high temperature warnings from IPMA for inland provinces, so not the usual tourist destinations, which are along the coasts and the week ahead looks very warm. For the Algarve, around 25 to 31C but often with a bit of a breeze. Next weekend could be hot for Portugal as June ends.

Spain has seen widespread heat on Friday. This remains on Saturday for northeastern provinces and for the south, well inland. There are temperature warnings from AEMET of up to 40C for Cordoba as the overall focus of the heat edges eastwards. 

For the island of Mallorca, temperatures will be 30 or 31C in Palma this weekend but will rise next week to 34C with warm, muggy nights. The same for Ibiza, 29C this weekend, so not as hot as London, which reached 32C on Thursday 19th,  but rising to 31C next week.

The western Mediterranean will hold onto the heat, as will the other end of the Med. with heatwave conditions returning to Turkey as temperatures here reach 38C. Cyprus and Crete will also be hot in the coming week. 

The Canary Islands will see temperatures this weekend of 23 to 27C so warm enough but not the heat that the UK has been experiencing. It will be fine and sunny and pleasantly warm.

Whatever the weather back home, being on holiday is time for a rest and a recharge with a change of scenery. Meteo Alarm shows a summary of the National Meteorological Service warnings across many European countries and is a useful resource for official weather updates. 

Check your Holiday destination weather forecast.