2006 European heat wave - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

*2006 European heat wave*
Dates	26 June 2006 to 30 July 2006
Areas affected	Mostly western Europe

The 2006 European heat wave
Heat wave
A heat wave is a prolonged period of excessively hot weather, which may be accompanied by high humidity. There is no universal definition of a heat wave; the term is relative to the usual weather in the area...

was a period of exceptionally hot weather that arrived at the end of June 2006 in certain European countries. The United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

, France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

, Belgium

Belgium

Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

, Netherlands

Netherlands

The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

, Luxembourg

Luxembourg

Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...

, Italy

Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

, Poland

Poland

Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...

, the Czech Republic

Czech Republic

The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....

, Hungary

Hungary

Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...

, Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

and western part of Russia

Russia

Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

were most affected. Several records were broken. In the Netherlands

Netherlands

, Belgium

Belgium

, Germany

Germany

, Ireland

Republic of Ireland

Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...

, and the UK, July 2006 was the warmest month since official measurements began.

Belgium

experienced two heat waves in July 2006. Before 1990 a heat wave occurred about once every 8 years, but during the last decade the country averages one heat wave per year. On 19 July 2006, temperatures throughout the entire country rose to 36 °C (97 °F), making it the hottest July day in almost 60 years. The highest temperatures were recorded at the stations of Kleine Brogel and Genk

Genk

Genk is a city and municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg near Hasselt. The municipality only comprises the city of Genk itself...

, which measured 37.5 °C (99.5 °F) and 38.3 °C (100.9 °F), respectively.

There were 36 consecutive days of temperatures above 25 °C (77 °F) where the heat wave lasted for 34 days straight. In the rest of the country, the second heat wave lasted for 17 days. The heat wave ended on 30 July in Belgium and on 31 July in Campine

Campine

The Campine is a natural region situated chiefly in north-eastern Belgium and parts of the south-western Netherlands which once consisted mainly of extensive moors, tracts of sandy heath, and wetlands...

.

July was the warmest month in Belgium since records began in 1830 with average maximum temperatures of 28.6 °C (83.5 °F) in Uccle

Uccle

Uccle or Ukkel is one of the nineteen municipalities located in the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium.Uccle is known for its well-to-do areas, its green spots and its high rental rates.-History:...

, Brussels

Brussels

Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...

. This was 1.8 °C (3.24 °F) warmer than the previous record set in July 1994 and 7 °C (12.6 °F) warmer than the 30-year meteorological average for Belgium. July 2006 was also one of the sunniest months in Belgian history, with 316 hours of sunshine, or more than 140 hours more than normal.

United Kingdom

At 14:32 BST

British Summer Time

Western European Summer Time is a summer daylight saving time scheme, 1 hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. It is used in the following places:* the Canary Islands* Portugal * Ireland...

on Wednesday, 19 July 2006, it was confirmed that the previous highest July maximum temperature, (36 °C (96.8 °F) at Epsom

Epsom

Epsom is a town in the borough of Epsom and Ewell in Surrey, England. Small parts of Epsom are in the Borough of Reigate and Banstead. The town is located south-south-west of Charing Cross, within the Greater London Urban Area. The town lies on the chalk downland of Epsom Downs.-History:Epsom lies...

, Surrey

Surrey

Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...

in 1911), had been beaten at Charlwood

Charlwood

Charlwood is a village and civil parish in the Mole Valley district of Surrey, England. It is immediately northwest of London Gatwick Airport in West Sussex, close west of Horley and north of Crawley. The historic county boundary between Surrey and Sussex ran to the south of Gatwick Airport...

, near Gatwick Airport with a temperature of 36.3 °C (97.3 °F). Later it was confirmed that 36.5 °C (97.7 °F) had been recorded at Wisley

Wisley

Wisley is a small village in Surrey, England. It lies between Cobham and Woking. It is the home of the Royal Horticultural Society's Wisley Garden. The River Wey runs through the village....

, Surrey. This confirmed that the period of prolonged warm weather was a true heat wave. However, despite some predictions, the United Kingdom's all-time temperature high of 38.5 °C (101.3 °F) attained at Faversham

Faversham

Faversham is a market town and civil parish in the Swale borough of Kent, England. The parish of Faversham grew up around an ancient sea port on Faversham Creek and was the birthplace of the explosives industry in England.-History:...

, Kent

Kent

Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...

, on 10 August 2003 was not reached.

Drought

Drought in the United Kingdom

Droughts in the United Kingdom are a relatively common feature of the weather in the UK, with one around every 5–10 years on average. These droughts are usually confined to summer, when a blocking high causes hot, dry weather for an extended period. However droughts can vary in their characteristics...

was an issue in many parts of the United Kingdom after a very dry winter. There was warning of drought occurring from the early months of 2006. Following the dry winter, with extreme temperatures occurring in the country and little rain, increasing strain was put on water supplies, and hose-pipe bans were issued in many counties. The Environment Agency

Environment Agency

The Environment Agency is a British non-departmental public body of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and an Assembly Government Sponsored Body of the Welsh Assembly Government that serves England and Wales.-Purpose:...

claimed that the UK may have had the most severe drought in 100 years.

Some power cuts also occurred, some after lightning strikes and some due to large amounts of electricity used by air conditioners. In Central London on 27 July 2006 a series of power cuts hit Piccadilly Circus

Piccadilly Circus

Piccadilly Circus is a road junction and public space of London's West End in the City of Westminster, built in 1819 to connect Regent Street with the major shopping street of Piccadilly...

, Regent's Street, Turner Broadcasting UK

Turner Broadcasting System Europe

Turner Broadcasting System Europe is the company managing the collection of cable networks around Europe.Turner Broadcasting System Europe operates the following brands: CNN International, Boomerang, TCM, TNT Film, Cartoon Network, and Boing. The availability of these brands depends on what country...

and Oxford Circus

Oxford Circus

Oxford Circus is the area of London at the busy intersection of Regent Street and Oxford Street, in the West End. It is served by Oxford Circus tube station, which is directly beneath the junction itself.- History :...

causing the closure of shops and businesses, when pre-existing faults were worsened by heavy demand.

The Met Office

Met Office

The Met Office , is the United Kingdom's national weather service, and a trading fund of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills...

confirmed that July 2006 was the warmest month on record across the UK, and a number of regional records were also broken.

Germany

In Germany

Germany

most of the July temperature average records were broken. In Mannheim

Mannheim

Mannheim is a city in southwestern Germany. With about 315,000 inhabitants, Mannheim is the second-largest city in the Bundesland of Baden-Württemberg, following the capital city of Stuttgart....

/Ludwigshafen a July average of 26 °C (78.8 °F) were recorded which means a temperature anomaly of 6 °C (10.8 °F) which is a new record for a monthly average in Germany (in the same cities high temperatures reached over 40 °C (104 °F)). In Berlin an average temperature of 25 °C (77 °F) was recorded (7 °C (12.6 °F) above normal). Such numbers were recorded all over Germany. The biggest problem was the precipitation, which mostly fell in intense thunderstorms. At least 20 people died in this heatwave.

Denmark

Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...

experienced the warmest July ever with an average temperature (day and night) of 19.8 °C (67.6 °F), breaking a record of 19.5 °C (67.1 °F) set in 1994. It was the second warmest month ever, behind August 1997 at 20.4 °C (68.7 °F). It was also the sunniest July ever, and the second sunniest ever, at 321 hours. In fact the previous July record was 290 hours. Since Denmark escaped the extremes seen further south, it is now known as one of the best summer months ever.

France

High temperatures in France

France

destroyed many crops

Crop (agriculture)

A crop is a non-animal species or variety that is grown to be harvested as food, livestock fodder, fuel or for any other economic purpose. Major world crops include maize , wheat, rice, soybeans, hay, potatoes and cotton. While the term "crop" most commonly refers to plants, it can also include...

, just days before the harvest period, while French officials said at least 40 people were confirmed to have been killed by the heat wave directly. Temperatures as high as 37 °C (98.6 °F) were recorded in Paris

Paris

Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...

during the heatwave. July 2006 was in many regions the warmest July ever recorded (and often the second warmest month after August 2003). In many regions weather was particularly stormy. In Nice, the all time high temperature record was beaten with a 37.7 °C (99.9 °F) recorded on 1 August.

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

was affected from the heat wave

Heat wave

A heat wave is a prolonged period of excessively hot weather, which may be accompanied by high humidity. There is no universal definition of a heat wave; the term is relative to the usual weather in the area...

from the start of June, and the warm weather continued until the end of July.

Temperatures were well above average for both months. The highest recorded in June was 27.1 °C (80.8 °F) at Ardfert

Ardfert

Ardfert is a village in County Kerry, Ireland. Historically a religious centre, the economy of the locality is driven by agriculture and its position as a dormitory town, being only 8 km from Tralee.-Origin:...

, County Kerry

County Kerry

Kerry means the "people of Ciar" which was the name of the pre-Gaelic tribe who lived in part of the present county. The legendary founder of the tribe was Ciar, son of Fergus mac Róich. In Old Irish "Ciar" meant black or dark brown, and the word continues in use in modern Irish as an adjective...

on 9 June. In Kilkenny

Kilkenny

Kilkenny is a city and is the county town of the eponymous County Kilkenny in Ireland. It is situated on both banks of the River Nore in the province of Leinster, in the south-east of Ireland...

, County Kilkenny

County Kilkenny

County Kilkenny is a county in Ireland. It is part of the South-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the city of Kilkenny. The territory of the county was the core part of the ancient Irish Kingdom of Osraige which in turn was the core of the Diocese of...

, there were 29 consecutive days in July with temperatures over 20 °C (68 °F), and nine of these days had temperatures over 25 °C (77 °F). July 2006 was the warmest July in Ireland since records began. By the end of July, temperatures returned to average figures.

On 18 July, a temperature of 30.1 °C (86.2 °F) was recorded in Birr

Birr

Birr is a town in County Offaly, Ireland. Once called Parsonstown, after the Parsons family who were local landowners and hereditary Earls of Rosse. It is also a parish in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Killaloe....

, County Offaly

County Offaly

County Offaly is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Midlands Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Uí Failghe and was formerly known as King's County until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. Offaly County Council is...

; the same day, 30.2 °C (86.4 °F) was recorded at Kilkenny Castle

Kilkenny Castle

Kilkenny Castle is a castle in Kilkenny, Ireland built in 1195 by William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke to control a fording-point of the River Nore and the junction of several routeways...

, County Kilkenny

County Kilkenny

and Shannon Airport

Shannon Airport

Shannon Airport, is one of the Republic of Ireland's three primary airports along with Dublin and Cork. In 2010 around 1,750,000 passengers passed through the airport, making it the third busiest airport in the Republic of Ireland after Dublin and Cork, and the fifth busiest airport on the island...

, County Clare

County Clare

-History:There was a Neolithic civilisation in the Clare area — the name of the peoples is unknown, but the Prehistoric peoples left evidence behind in the form of ancient dolmen; single-chamber megalithic tombs, usually consisting of three or more upright stones...

. However, temperatures again rose to 31 °C (87.8 °F) at Casement Aerodrome

Casement Aerodrome

Casement Aerodrome or Baldonnel Aerodrome is a military airbase to the south west of Dublin, Ireland situated off the N7 main road route to the south and south west. It is the headquarters and the sole base of the Irish Air Corps, and is also used for other government purposes...

, Dublin; and 32.3 °C (90.1 °F) at Elphin

Elphin

In Welsh mythology, Elffin ap Gwyddno was a son of Gwyddno Garanhir, 'Lord of Ceredigion'. The earliest example of the name occurs in several of the mythological poems attributed to Taliesin in the Book of Taliesin. The date of their composition is uncertain but probably predates the Norman...

, County Roscommon

County Roscommon

County Roscommon is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the town of Roscommon. Roscommon County Council is the local authority for the county...

on the 19 July - this is the warmest temperature recorded in Ireland since 1976. Temperatures over 30 °C (86 °F) are rare in Ireland, being recorded about once or twice every decade - 1976, 1983, 1986, 1995, 2003 and now 2006 are the most recent times of such high temperatures. The highest ever recorded in Ireland was 33.3 °C (91.9 °F) at Kilkenny Castle

Kilkenny Castle

Kilkenny Castle is a castle in Kilkenny, Ireland built in 1195 by William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke to control a fording-point of the River Nore and the junction of several routeways...

, County Kilkenny

County Kilkenny

on 26 June 1887.

The highest mean temperatures during the heatwave were recorded at Merrion Square

Merrion Square

Merrion Square is a Georgian square on the southside of Dublin city centre. It was laid out after 1762 and was largely complete by the beginning of the 19th century. It is considered one of the city's finest surviving squares...

in Dublin city centre both months - 16.3 °C (61.3 °F) in June (average 14.6 °C (58.3 °F)) and 18.7 °C (65.7 °F) in July (average 16.3 °C (61.3 °F)).

To put this into context, average daily maximums in Ireland in only vary from 15 to 20 °C (59 to 68 F) in June; and 16 to 23 °C (60.8 to 73.4 F) in July.

Despite the high daytime temperatures, night time

Night Time

Night Time is the fifth studio album by Killing Joke, released in 1985. It was an international hit, featuring some of their best-known tracks like "Night Time", "Eighties", "Love Like Blood", and "Kings and Queens"....

temperatures were sometimes below average (6 to 11 °C (42.8 to 51.8 F) in June; 8 to 13 °C (46.4 to 55.4 F) in July). Grass temperatures as low as -2.3 C were recorded at Birr

Birr

, County Offaly

County Offaly

on 23 June; however, the lowest air temperature recorded was 2 °C (35.6 °F) at Straide, County Mayo

County Mayo

County Mayo is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Mayo, which is now generally known as Mayo Abbey. Mayo County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county is 130,552...

on 14 June. The cool night time temperatures are thought to have made the heat wave more bearable there.

Sunshine

Sunshine

Sunshine is sunlight, the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the Sun, especially in the visible wavelengths.Sunshine may also refer to:-Film and television:*Sunshine , a historical film directed by István Szabó...

levels were very high all over the country, with 257 hours (~8.6 hours a day) of sunshine recorded at Cork Airport, County Cork

County Cork

County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...

in June (making it the sunniest June since records began) and 283 hours (~9.1 hours a day) of sunshine at Rosslare

Rosslare

The name Rosslare may refer to:*Rosslare Strand, a village in County Wexford, Ireland* Rosslare Harbour, a village in County Wexford, Ireland*The Rosslare Europort at Rosslare Harbour...

, County Wexford

County Wexford

County Wexford is a county in Ireland. It is part of the South-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Wexford. In pre-Norman times it was part of the Kingdom of Uí Cheinnselaig, whose capital was at Ferns. Wexford County Council is the local...

in July (sunniest July since 1990). The sunniest day during the two months (and indeed, the year) was on 25 June, when Malin Head

Malin Head

Malin Head , on the Inishowen Peninsula, County Donegal, is usually given as the most northerly headland of the mainland of Ireland . In fact, the most northerly point is actually a headland named Banba's Crown on the Inishowen Peninsula about 2 km to the northeast...

, County Donegal

County Donegal

County Donegal is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Donegal. Donegal County Council is the local authority for the county...

, recorded 15.8 hours of sunshine.

Rainfall levels were also quite low, with only 13.2 millimetre (0.519685039370079 in) of rain at Derrygreenagh, County Offaly

County Offaly

and Fermoy

Fermoy

Fermoy is a town in County Cork, Ireland. It is situated on the River Blackwater in the south of Ireland. Its population is some 5,800 inhabitants, environs included ....

, County Cork

County Cork

in June and 13 millimetre (0.511811023622047 in) of rain recorded at Merrion Square

Merrion Square

, Dublin in July. Parts of Munster

Munster

Munster is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the south of Ireland. In Ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial purposes...

and Leinster

Leinster

Leinster is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the east of Ireland. It comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Mide, Osraige and Leinster. Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the historic fifths of Leinster and Mide gradually merged, mainly due to the impact of the Pale, which straddled...

also recorded 21 days between 28 May and 17 June where no rainfall was recorded. There was also a period between 9 July and 27 July when no rainfall was recorded in Greater Dublin. Despite the low rainfall, drought was not an issue in Ireland.

In Ireland, May 2006 was the warmest for 20 years and sunniest since 2000; June 2006 was the sunniest on record, driest since 1995 and also one of the warmest; July 2006 was the warmest on record, sunniest in 15 years and also driest since 1989; August 2006 was average; September 2006 was the warmest on record; October 2006 was the warmest in many places since 2001 and sunniest since 2000; and November 2006 was warmer and sunnier than usual. Overall, Summer 2006 (June, July and August) was the sunniest, driest and warmest summer since 1995; and one of the sunniest, driest and warmest on record. Autumn 2006 (September, October, November) was the warmest on record in many places, and sunshine levels were well above normal; however, rainfall levels were also above average too.

The months of June and July 2006 are regarded as one of the best summers ever due to the high levels of sunshine, warm temperatures and low rainfall. Drought and health problems were not an issue in Ireland, unlike many parts of Europe

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

- mostly because the heat was not as severe there.

Netherlands

July 2006

With a monthly average of 22.3 °C (72.1 °F), KNMI statistics show July 2006 was the warmest-ever month on record for the Netherlands. http://www.knmi.nl/klimatologie/maand_en_seizoensoverzichten/maand/jul06.html Around 500 or 1,000 more people than usual died in July 2006 http://www.cbs.nl/nl-NL/menu/themas/mens-maatschappij/bevolking/publicaties/artikelen/2006-2003-wm.htm
Earlier, the Four Day Marches of Nijmegen

International Four Days Marches Nijmegen

The International Four Day Marches Nijmegen is the largest marching event in the world. It is organised every year in Nijmegen in mid-July as a means of promoting sport and exercise. Participants walk 30, 40 or 50 kilometers daily, and, on completion, receive a royally approved medal...

had been cancelled after only one day as hundreds of people collapsed the first day, two of them eventually dying due to fatal heat stroke. The walking people had to walk on open roads without any shade and there was not enough water for everyone. Paramedics had their hands full with hundreds of people who fainted due to the heat. The walking people had to deal with temperatures in the sun of 42 °C (107.6 °F). The air-temperatures on the first day of the four day march was about 36 °C (96.8 °F). Forecasts showed even higher temperatures of 37 °C (98.6 °F) for the next day, causing the organisation to cancel the remainder of the event. http://www.4daagse.nl/index.asp?taal=en&pagina=homepagina&interactivepage=

The highest temperature was recorded on 19 July (see picture), when temperatures reached for most of the country the mid to upper 30's °C (mid to upper 90's °F), Especially in the south-east. The all time record for the month of July was broken; temperatures soared to 37.2 °C (99 °F). A few hundred meters across the border into Germany, at the weather station Kalkar, located at the airport in Weeze, near Nijmegen, a maximum of 38.6 °C (101.5 °F) was recorded on 19 July.
At some places especially in the south-east of the Netherlands temperatures passed 30 °C (86 °F) for 15 or 16 days, and the average daytime month temperature was 30 °C (86 °F) again in the south-east of the Netherlands and the lowest daytime temperature was at some locations 34.1 °C (93.4 °F). for the whole month of July. For two days daytime temperatures were below 25 °C (77 °F), making 29 days with temperatures of 25 °C (77 °F) and higher.
During days when temperatures reached 30 °C (86 °F) or higher, and on days without wind, the smog level was very high. Warnings were broadcast on television and radio, advising people to stay indoors as much as possible because the air pollution was very unhealthy, the smog was very strong and it was dangerously hot.

The Netherlands also had to deal with extreme drought in June and July. The rainfall in June was at some locations as low as 0.5 centimetre (0.196850393700787 in), July was also extremely dry. Because of the extreme heat and drought vegetation was very dry, and the humidity levels were very low, causing brushfires.

On 30 January 2007, the United Nations published a report of all countries in the world with the most deaths related to natural disasters for 2006. The Netherlands appeared fourth place, with 1000 heat-related deaths.

Poland

July 2006 was the warmest in Poland since the beginning of the meteorological measurements (from 1779). For most of the month, the maximum temperature exceeded 30 °C (86 °F), even at night rarely fell below 20 °C (68 °F). The average temperature was more than 5 °C (9 °F) higher than normal, for example in Warsaw

Warsaw

Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...

the average temperature in July 2006 is 23.5 °C (74.3 °F), in Wrocław is 23.8 °C (74.8 °F), and in Poznań

Poznan

Poznań is a city on the Warta river in west-central Poland, with a population of 556,022 in June 2009. It is among the oldest cities in Poland, and was one of the most important centres in the early Polish state, whose first rulers were buried at Poznań's cathedral. It is sometimes claimed to be...

is 24.2 °C (75.6 °F). The highest temperature was recorded in Słubice, near the German border 36.5 °C (97.7 °F). After hot days, at night the temperature fell very slowly, on 16 July in Słubice minimum temperature was 27.4 °C (81.3 °F) and it was the warmest night in the entire history of meteorological measurements.

July 2006 was also extremely dry. In many regions it was not raining from the 3 – 4 weeks. The rivers reported the lowest states of water in history. In the absence of rain dried up many crops.

In July 2006 in most Polish cities reported 300 - 350 sunshine hours (normally 220-240 sunshine hours): absolute maximum in Poznań

Poznan

- 373 sunshine hours and in Warsaw

Warsaw

- 355 sunshine hours.

Sweden

According to the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI

SMHI

SMHI is an abbreviation for Sveriges Meteorologiska och Hydrologiska Institut, . SMHI is a government agency in Sweden and operates under the Ministry of Sustainable Development...

), the city of Lund

Lund

-Main sights:During the 12th and 13th centuries, when the town was the seat of the archbishop, many churches and monasteries were built. At its peak, Lund had 27 churches, but most of them were demolished as result of the Reformation in 1536. Several medieval buildings remain, including Lund...

in Skåne in southern Sweden had the highest average temperatures (day and night: 21.6 °C (70.9 °F)) for the month of July since records began in 1859. The rest of Sweden has however not broken the daily average temperatures from the record year 1994.

The highest temperature in Sweden in July 2006 was recorded in Målilla

Målilla

Målilla is a locality situated in Hultsfred Municipality, Kalmar County, Sweden with 1,605 inhabitants in 2005.It is more commonly known as the temperature capital of Sweden due to the frequent records, both high and low, being set there. A Swedish record high temperature of +38°C was set on June...

in Småland

Småland

' is a historical province in southern Sweden.Småland borders Blekinge, Scania or Skåne, Halland, Västergötland, Östergötland and the island Öland in the Baltic Sea. The name Småland literally means Small Lands. . The latinized form Smolandia has been used in other languages...

, where a temperature of 34.2 °C (93.6 °F) was recorded on 6 July. This is the highest temperature recorded in the country since July 1994 when Kalmar and Söderhamn had 35.1 °C (95.2 °F).
Målilla and Ultuna are the places where the highest temperature ever in Sweden was recorded, 38 °C (100.4 °F), in 1947 and 1933 respectively.

In Russia

Absolute maxima of July 2006 have been broken in

Pskov
Pskov
Pskov is an ancient city and the administrative center of Pskov Oblast, Russia, located in the northwest of Russia about east from the Estonian border, on the Velikaya River. Population: -Early history:...

+35 °C (95 °F)
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...

+34.3 °C (93.7 °F)

The warmest July in

Kaliningrad
Kaliningrad
Kaliningrad is a seaport and the administrative center of Kaliningrad Oblast, the Russian exclave between Poland and Lithuania on the Baltic Sea...

+21.2 °C (70.2 °F)

Period after the heat wave

Due to the extreme heat in July 2006, the ocean water reached a temperature normally reached in September. This increase in water temperature led to faster evaporation of ocean waters, making August one of the cloudiest and wettest months in recorded history in various western European countries. Many weather experts report this to be a direct consequence of the heat wave, as the high evaporation rate caused the atmosphere to generate many low pressure areas.
Despite this, September 2006 was again the warmest September on record, in the UK and elsewhere, due to high ocean temperatures, altered atmospheric pressure zones, and consequent different wind directions over Europe. The pressure zone changes were a consequence of the extra-tropical remnants of Atlantic hurricanes settling over the British isles.

The Met Office announced on 16 October 2006 that the extended summer of May to September 2006 was the hottest summer ever recorded, the Central England temperature

Central England temperature

The Central England Temperature record was originally published by Professor Gordon Manley in 1953 and subsequently extended and updated in 1974, following many decades of painstaking work...

mean temperature of 16.2 °C (61.2 °F) for this summer was 2°C (3.6°F) warmer than the average temperatures of 1961-1990. http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/corporate/pressoffice/2006/pr20061016.html

In the Netherlands

Just two months after July 2006, September 2006 became the warmest September since official measurements started. Additionally, October 2006 and November 2006 broke several temperature records. October was one of the warmest Octobers since measurements began, and November went into the record books as the second warmest November since official measurements started three hundred years prior. With temperatures from the north of the Netherlands to the south of Belgium ranging between 16 to 18 °C (60.8 to 64.4 F) at the end of November, previous records were shattered. The autumn of 2006 was the warmest autumn in history, breaking the old record of just one year prior (2005) by 1.4 °C (34.5 °F). The winter of 2006/2007 was the warmest in three hundred years as well, and so was the following spring.

With the exception of August 2006, every month from April 2006 to June 2007 saw temperatures above average, the most bizarre months being January 2007 which noted an average temperature of 7.1 °C (44.8 °F) rather than 2.8 °C (37 °F), and April 2007 with 13.1 °C (55.6 °F) as opposed to 8.1 °C (46.6 °F). Temperatures reached a record-breaking 29.7 °C (85.5 °F) as early as 15 April. The average April daytime maximum in the Netherlands is around 12 °C (53.6 °F).

Such a sequence of events is unheard of in the Netherlands meteorological history, estimated to happen every 8,000 years when not taking global warming into account. It's been a result of a unique mixture of the hot summer increasing marine temperatures and Northern Atlantic hurricanes settling as depressions off the coast of Scotland, giving the European continent a constant stream of southern, fast winds rendering it unable to cool down from the Mediterranean through to northern Europe.

In Belgium

After the record-breaking month of July, August also broke records, but just the opposite of July. August 2006 was very rainy, at some places more than 200 millimetres (7.9 in) of rain fell. The sunshine totalled only 90 hours, less than half the normal, also a record. the average temperature was about 16.3 °C (61.3 °F). September 2006 was the warmest month in history, with an average temperature of 18.4 °C (65.1 °F), while the normal temperature is 14.6 °C (58.3 °F). September 2006 was thus warmer than August 2006. October 2006 was the second warmest in history with an average temperature of 14.2 °C (57.6 °F) (normally: 10.5 °C (50.9 °F)). November 2006 was the 4th warmest month in history, with an average temperature of 9.1 °C (48.4 °F) (normally: 6.1 °C (43 °F)). December 2006 was also too warm.

The autumn of 2006 was the warmest in recorded history.

2007 has also broke many records. January 2007 broke all temperature records (minimum, maximum and average) - the average temperature was 7.2 °C (45 °F), while the normal is just 2.6 °C (36.7 °F). February 2007 set some day records and was 2 °C (35.6 °F) warmer than normal.

The winter of 2007 was also the warmest in history.

March 2007 was the 6th warmest month in history, just 0.8 °C (33.4 °F) less than the record. April 2007 was also the warmest month in history, the average temperature being 5 °C (41 °F) warmer than normal. Kleine Brogel had two tropical days on 15 and 16 April 2007 (30 °C (86 °F) and 30.7 °C (87.3 °F)), the earliest dates ever. May and June were also expected to be warmer than normal.

In Finland

The summer of 2006 was around 2 °C (35.6 °F) warmer than the 1971-2000 average. While the heat was not record breaking, the drought was: less than half of the average summer rainfall was received in large areas, and almost all of the country received less than 75% of the usual rain. In many localities (such as Jokioinen

Jokioinen

Jokioinen is a municipality of Finland.It is located in the province of Southern Finland and is part of the Tavastia Proper region. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of ofwhich is water...

, Kajaani

Kajaani

Kajaani is a town and municipality in Finland.It is the capital of the Kainuu region. It is located southeast of Oulujärvi , which drains to the Gulf of Bothnia along the Oulujoki . There are inhabitants and city surface area is of which is water. The population density is . The town is...

, and Rovaniemi

Rovaniemi

Rovaniemi is a city and municipality of Finland. It is the administrative capital and commercial centre of Finland's northernmost province, Lapland. It is situated close to the Arctic Circle and is between the hills of Ounasvaara and Korkalovaara, at the confluence of the Kemijoki River and its...

, it was the driest summer on record. Autumn 2006 was also 1 to 2 °C (33.8 to 35.6 F) warmer than the average. While this didn't break any records, an unprecedented period of mild weather began around the middle of November.

December 2006 was the warmest December ever recorded in Finland

Finland

Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...

. In Helsinki

Helsinki

Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...

, the December mean temperature was 4 °C (39.2 °F), beating the previous record of 2.9 °C (37.2 °F) set in 1929. Similar records were broken across the southern and central parts of the country, while in the north the old records narrowly remained in place. On 6 December, an all time December high of 10.8 °C (51.4 °F) was recorded at Salo

Salo, Finland

Salo is a town and municipality of Finland.It is located in the province of Western Finland and is part of the Finland Proper region. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is ....

.

The mild weather continued well into January 2007. On January 10, many places in southern Finland observed record highs for January. These included Helsinki-Vantaa at 8.2 °C (46.8 °F), Turku

Turku

Turku is a city situated on the southwest coast of Finland at the mouth of the Aura River. It is located in the region of Finland Proper. It is believed that Turku came into existence during the end of the 13th century which makes it the oldest city in Finland...

at 8.4 °C (47.1 °F), and Lappeenranta

Lappeenranta

Lappeenranta is a city and municipality that resides on the shore of the lake Saimaa in South-Eastern Finland, about from the Russian border. It belongs to the region of South Karelia. With approximately inhabitants Lappeenranta is the largest city in Finland...

at 7 °C (44.6 °F). (The national record high for January, 10.9 °C (51.6 °F) set at Maarianhamina in 1973, remained in place.) As a whole, the two months leading to 16 January were the mildest such period ever recorded in Finland. In Helsinki, the mean temperature for this period was 4.1 °C (39.4 °F), beating the previous record of 2.2 °C (36 °F) set in 1982–83. In Sodankylä, it was -4.7 C (previous record -5.3 C set in 1972-73). In the second half of January, temperatures plunged and February 2007 was well below the average over 1971 to 2000.

In France

After the unusually hot July, August brought a big contrast with cool weather, cloudy skies and pretty wet weather patterns all around the country, with the exception of the Mediterranean coast.

September however turned to be very warm and sunny and in many parts of France it was the warmest in 50 years. October too was very warm and so was November, triggering in many regions the warmest autumn in recorded history. A very rare föhn-like warm spell affected northern and western France on 25 November and brought temperature as high as 18 °C (64.4 °F) at 7 in the morning in Paris.

Even more amazingly December, January and February also brought extremely mild weather making the winter of 2006-2007 the warmest in recorded history.

March was relatively uneventful with average temperatures and precipitations. However April broke the record for the warmest April on record. In many regions it was also the sunniest (with almost uninterrupted sunshine for the whole 30 days) and the driest April on record. In northern and north-eastern France the departure from the normal of the average temperature was as high as 5^oC (9^oF). May was too very warm making the spring 2007 the warmest in recorded history for some regions.

In the United Kingdom

Like the rest of western Europe, August 2006 saw a dramatic turnaround, being a cloudy and wet month in many parts with daytime maxima below average- although the Central England Temperature

Central England temperature

The Central England Temperature record was originally published by Professor Gordon Manley in 1953 and subsequently extended and updated in 1974, following many decades of painstaking work...

(CET) was close to the long-term average, due to the cloud keeping night minima higher than normal. The month was notable for its lack of heat waves, being the first August since 1993 when 30 °C (86 °F)) was not recorded anywhere in the country. http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/2006/august.html However August 2008, which followed a much cooler July, was even duller and wetter.

September 2006 was just as record-breaking as July, being the warmest on record and just as exceptionally, warmer than August had been. October and November, although not beating the records for the warmest set in 2001 and 1994 respectively, were also much warmer than average.

Winter 2006-07 was exceptionally mild, the warmest since 1868-69. http://www.personal.dundee.ac.uk/~taharley/2007_weather.htm. Every winter month (December, January, February) had a CET

Central England temperature

The Central England Temperature record was originally published by Professor Gordon Manley in 1953 and subsequently extended and updated in 1974, following many decades of painstaking work...

above 5 °C (41 °F), only the second time this has happened since 1900 (after 1988-89, although November 1988 was colder than any month of 2006-07) and only the sixth since 1659 (1685–86, 1833–34, 1833–34, and 1868-69 also).http://hadobs.metoffice.com/hadcet/cetml1659on.dat There was no snow except in the mountains until the second half of January, and the only cold snap for most of the country occurred from 7–10 February.

After an average March, April 2007 was another record-breaker, with a CET of 11.2 °C (52.2 °F). Temperatures were widely above 20 °C (68 °F), with over 200 hours of sunshine for much of the country. Parts of south-eastern Britain had no rain all month.

In the first week of May 2007, occurred a change that was dramatic even by the standards of British weather; May, June and July were unprecedentedly wet, with some of Britain's worst ever flooding the result (see 2007 United Kingdom floods

2007 United Kingdom floods

The 2007 United Kingdom floods were a series of destructive floods that occurred in various areas across the country during the summer of 2007. The most severe floods occurred across Northern Ireland on 12 June; East Yorkshire and The Midlands on 15 June; Yorkshire, The Midlands, Gloucestershire,...

).

In early February 2009, a cold front caused massive amounts of snowfall, the worst for 18 years in some regions. This led to London Heathrow Airport being closed and buses in London

Buses in London

The London Bus is one of London's principal icons, the archetypal red rear-entrance double-deck Routemaster being recognised worldwide. Although the Routemaster has now been largely phased out of service, with only two heritage routes still using the vehicles, the majority of buses in London are...

being stopped. The snow took 15 days to melt completely in Sheffield.

In Poland

After a hot and dry July, August 2006 was cold and very rainy. The average temperature hovered slightly below the long-term standards. At the beginning of the month in the west of the country experienced torrential rains and violent storms. In Wrocław decreased 292 millimetres (11.5 in) of water, that is 4 times more than usual. As a result of heavy rains came to the floods which affected mainly Lower Silesia

Lower Silesia

Lower Silesia ; is the northwestern part of the historical and geographical region of Silesia; Upper Silesia is to the southeast.Throughout its history Lower Silesia has been under the control of the medieval Kingdom of Poland, the Kingdom of Bohemia and the Austrian Habsburg Monarchy from 1526...

.

For a change September 2006 was warm and dry. In the west, that month was more than 4°C (7.2°F) warmer from the norm. In Słubice the average temperature was until 18 °C (64.4 °F). Early September brought gusty winds in Poland, near Bydgoszcz in Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship

Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship

-Transportation:Transportation infrastructure is of critical importance to the voivodeship's economy. Kuyavia-Pomerania is a major node point in the Polish transportation system. Railway lines from the South and East pass through Bydgoszcz in order to reach the major ports on the Baltic Sea...

tornado passed, which escaped with the roots of several hundred trees.

October 2006 is also inscribed as one of the warmer in the history of meteorological measurements, as well as very dry. For many days the temperature exceeded 20 °C (68 °F) degrees, reaching up to 26 °C (78.8 °F) at the south of the country. It was also very sunny month, because reported about 150 sunshine hours.

November 2006 in Poland was the warmest from 10 years. The daily temperature reached up to 20 °C (68 °F) and at night rarely dropped below 0 °C (32 °F). November was very wet, usually dropped 100 millimetres (3.9 in) of water, and the standard is approximately 40 millimetres (1.6 in). Like in October the wind was blowing strongly, particularly on the coast of the Baltic Sea. At the end of the month, thick fog blocked airports in Warsaw

Warsaw

, Kraków

Kraków

Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...

and Wrocław to 3 days.

Winter 2006-2007 was extremely warm and rain, in many cities, the snow lay only a few days. At night the temperature increased up to 14 °C (57.2 °F) degrees, which at this time of year, it was an unprecedented phenomenon. In January 2007, the maximum temperature increased to 20 °C (68 °F), especially in the south, where often blow halny

Halny

Halny – a foehn wind that blows in southern Poland and in Slovakia in the Carpathian Mountains. The most turbulent halny blows in Podhale, coming from the South, down the slopes of the Tatra Mountains; in Slovakia, on the other side of the mountains, it comes from the North.Halny is a warm...

– a foehn wind. The average temperature in winter 2006-2007 in eastern Poland was about 2.5 °C (36.5 °F), normally -2.5 C and in western Poland 4.5 °C (40.1 °F), normally 1 °C (33.8 °F). This conclusion was the warmest winter since the measurements.

In Russia

December 2006 and January 2007 were the warmest months in Moscow

Moscow

Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...

, Saint Petersburg

Saint Petersburg

Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...

, Kazan

Kazan

Kazan is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia. With a population of 1,143,546 , it is the eighth most populous city in Russia. Kazan lies at the confluence of the Volga and Kazanka Rivers in European Russia. In April 2009, the Russian Patent Office granted Kazan the...

and other cities of European Russia.

March 2007 was warmest month in Moscow (+4.1 °C (39.4 °F)) with a record maximum +17.5 °C (63.5 °F)

In May 2007 the absolute maximum of month in many cities has been established:

Tambov
Tambov
Tambov is a city and the administrative center of Tambov Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Tsna and Studenets Rivers southeast of Moscow...

+36.1 °C (97 °F)
Rostov-on-Don
Rostov-on-Don
-History:The mouth of the Don River has been of great commercial and cultural importance since the ancient times. It was the site of the Greek colony Tanais, of the Genoese fort Tana, and of the Turkish fortress Azak...

+35.6 °C (96.1 °F)
Kazan
Kazan
Kazan is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia. With a population of 1,143,546 , it is the eighth most populous city in Russia. Kazan lies at the confluence of the Volga and Kazanka Rivers in European Russia. In April 2009, the Russian Patent Office granted Kazan the...

+33.8 °C (92.8 °F)
Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...

+33.2 °C (91.8 °F)

2007 and 2008 became the warmest years in Moscow history with average year temperatures +7.1 °C (44.8 °F) (2nd) and +7.3 °C (45.1 °F) (1st).

External links

German site Dutch Site (KNMI)

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.

Belgium

United Kingdom

Germany

Denmark

France

Ireland

Netherlands

Poland

Sweden

In Russia

Period after the heat wave

In the Netherlands

In Belgium

In Finland

In France

In the United Kingdom

In Poland

In Russia

See also

External links