The heat wave affecting Western and Central Europe favours conditions in Cyprus close to normal levels for the season, while only a temporary rise in temperature is expected on Sunday and Monday, "but not something extreme", said the Officer of the Department of Meteorology Andreas Chrysanthou on Wednesday.
Mr. Chrysanthou said that Western Europe is affected by very high temperatures, mainly in Spain and France, while temperatures will move well above normal levels in areas such as the Netherlands, Germany, Italy and southern England.
As he said, the thermal outbreak comes from the south, with warm air masses mainly from Africa, which are trapped near the surface due to prolonged high pressures in Western Europe.
The Officer of the Department of Meteorology noted that the very high temperatures in Western and Central Europe are expected to last at least until Saturday, while from the weekend onwards this pattern seems to be starting to subside.
Regarding Cyprus, he said that the phenomenon does not affect it to the same extent. On the contrary, he added, the situation in Western Europe favors the creation of a wedge of low pressure from the north in the region of Cyprus, resulting in cooler air masses reaching the island.
"We will have a temporary rise of the order of one to two days, but not something extreme in our field for now," he said, adding that Cyprus remains in conditions close to normal levels.
Mr. Chrysanthou also said that the low pressure wedge may give rain in the mountainous areas of Cyprus from Friday to Sunday.
Asked about the possibility of storms, he said that the combination of low pressure, high temperatures and increased humidity can create instability in the atmosphere and favour summer showers or storms.
In relation to whether the heat wave is linked to the El Niño phenomenon, Mr. Chrysanthou said that there is no direct connection. He explained that the phenomenon recorded in Europe is related to the pattern of pressures in the Atlantic Ocean, while the consequences of El Niño for Europe are not immediate and may be seen in the long term.
He added that similar episodes are likely to be repeated in the summer, recalling that in August 2025 a heat dome phenomenon was recorded in Western and Central Europe.
