Severe weather this weekend. Severe weather in June – drought instead of rain

An exceptionally wet spring is followed by an early dry summer. There has hardly been any rain north of the Alps for weeks. This is unusual for the month of June. But this can be explained. And soon it will be really hot.

River levels drop again. A few weeks ago they were still at their limit. But the normally wet month of June has so far been dry and the dry period has practically begun already in May.

Specifically: North of the Alps, only 15 percent of the long-term average precipitation has fallen. In some places it is Not a drop has fallen from the sky for three weeksThe “Tages-Anzeiger” explains Stefan Bader, a climatologist at MeteoSwiss.

According to Badr, the reason is the bad weather in Europe. Transitioning from spring to summer, polar frontal waves determine the weather in Europe. Cold air from the Arctic meets warm air from the tropics, creating strong winds. These form areas of high and low pressure throughout the northern hemisphere.

This year, the polar fronts were too far north to allow a low penetration into Switzerland, explains Urs Neu of ProClim, a Swiss think tank on climate change issues.

June is usually rainy, but not in 2023

So there has been a stable high over Central Europe for weeks. This is accompanied by biz, which also drains the soil and forests. MeteoSwiss warns of the danger of forest fires in the Jura, Valais and eastern Graubünden.

The situation on the south side of the Alps was much more relaxed, as the humid Mediterranean air caused frequent rains. However, from June 1 to June 11, Ticino received half the amount of precipitation compared to the average from 1991 to 2000.

The sheep hail, which usually occurs in mid-June, is also absent this year. Temperatures on the northern side of the Alps are currently 2.5 to 3 degrees Celsius above the long-term average, while they are on average south of the Alps. The hail of sheep was a regular weather event, especially in the 20th century, explains climatologist Bader in Tages-Anzeiger. But since 2000, it has been undetectable.

Locally some rain and 30 degrees from Sunday

Chances of rain increase towards the end of the week. On the other hand, the likelihood of thunderstorms increases. However, thunderstorms are often localized and it is difficult to predict exactly where the drops will fall. In addition, a low elevation approaches northern Europe near the Alps. the “It could increase the risk of rain, especially in the east.”MeteoSwiss wrote in a blog post.

Above average warmth will turn into heat in the next few days. On Sunday, at least locally, the 30-degree limit must be exceeded for the first time. Next week is also off to a hot start. Summer will remain, and rain is still a rare guest.