45°C or freezing? An extreme temperature gradient builds this week
Two continents will feel like two different worlds this week as opposite temperature extremes build next to one another
Europe and Africa will experience one of the sharpest temperature gradients on Earth this week as two opposing weather patterns develop next to one another.
Record-breaking heat is possible over portions of northern Africa in the days ahead, all while communities just a short hop away experience frigid temperatures for the middle of May.
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A sharp setup leads to big temperature swings
This week’s pattern over Europe and Africa will feature a study in extremes.
A frosty upper-level trough swooping over Europe will send temperatures plunging well below seasonal for the next couple of days as cold air filters in from the northern latitudes.
Nearby, a formidable ridge of high pressure will build over Africa. Sinking air beneath this strong ridge will warm up and dry out as it descends toward the ground, sending temperatures soaring beneath bright and sunny skies.
Chilly conditions across Europe for mid-May
Conditions will feel downright chilly across much of western and central Europe through the first half of this week as that trough moves through the region.
Temperatures during the day and night will come in 5-10°C below seasonal through Tuesday, which will feel unpleasant with plenty of clouds and bouts of rain accompanying the pattern as it moves through the region.
A seasonal temperature in Frankfurt, Germany, during the month of May comes in around 20°C during the day and 9°C at night. The city’s forecast for Tuesday shows a morning low of 3°C with an afternoon high of just 13°C.
Subfreezing conditions are likely across the Alps, where temperatures could drop into the minus double-digits over the next few days.
Dangerously hot weather on the way for northern Africa
Things couldn’t be more different south of the Mediterranean.
Late spring and summer are no picnic in the Sahara Desert, which is routinely one of the hottest and driest places on the planet. But this stout ridge of high pressure settling over the region will send temperatures climbing far above seasonal.
Daytime highs in the lower to mid-40s are expected across almost the entire width of the continent, stretching from Egypt and Sudan in the east to the Atlantic coast in the west. Some areas could easily see afternoon readings higher than 45°C.
While there aren’t many communities in the middle of the desert where the heart of the heat will build, unseasonably hot weather is expected in some major population centres, including Dakar, Tunis, Tripoli, and Khartoum.
Nights won’t have a chance to cool off much, either. The city of Niamey in southwestern Niger will see overnight lows on Monday and Tuesday bottom-out at only 30°C, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year.