Weather accidents do not seem to be giving our country a break. The abnormal heat of spring puts agriculture and livestock in a desperate situation and we are already suffering our first heat wave of the summer. After the torrential rains and floods in May, it is time to face a new phenomenon: El scandinavian lock.
In this article we are going to tell you what the Scandinavian blockade is, what its characteristics are and possible risks.
extreme summer heat
By now we are used to the extreme heat of summer. And it is that over the years record after record has been broken, reaching alarming levels, and the heat puts life in serious danger, especially of the elderly and workers who carry out outdoor activities.
A doctor and physics researcher at AEMET has published an article analyzing these models: «The European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts has recently updated the seasonal forecasts for July, August and September, which point to more changes in the weather. We have seen higher than normal rainfall in our region."
The state's chief meteorologist explained on the map: "This could be the result of the arrival of more DANA and low pressure channels, which results in high storm activity.”
In another follow-up publication, the experts explained that "the model shows a high probability (>60%) of precipitation in the upper third (in the 30% of wettest years)." Later, he explained, "it's because the model predicts a lockdown in Scandinavia."
In addition to the open strategy in chess, in terms of atmosphere, the concept of "Scandinavian blockade" refers to the specific weather patterns that developed in Europe, especially Scandinavia.
What is the Scandinavian Lockdown?
The Scandinavian Blockade It is a high pressure system that covers Scandinavia and extends into northern Europe. This high pressure system blocks the advance of meteorological systems such as fronts and disturbances, preventing them from moving normally to the east.
The lockdowns in Scandinavia are likely to create a persistent weather pattern that will keep conditions relatively stable for an extended period. This could lead to stable weather conditions, with clear skies, cooler than normal temperatures, and little precipitation in lockdown areas.
In contrast, areas located to the south or east of the Scandinavian blockade could experience more dynamic weather patterns, such as fronts and the arrival of disturbances, which could lead to more erratic conditions and rapid changes in weather.
It is worth noting that the Scandinavian block is not unique to Scandinavia and may affect other geographic areas depending on its location and extent. This type of atmospheric lock could have had a major impact on the distribution of weather and climate conditions in Europe during its existence.
Persistence of the Scandinavian Blockade
If the remainder of the summer turns out to be as the above seasonal forecasts suggest, high pressure is likely to continue to strengthen in parts of northern and central Europe for much of the summer. At some point, the warmer ridges of North Africa will intrude, causing extremely high temperatures (another heat wave is not ruled out), although short-lived, but not persistent like last summer.
The alternation of this pair of meteorological patterns of opposite sign, and the predominance of the latter due to the Scandinavian confinement that we have just mentioned (causing the current heat wave), will predictably mark the meteorological behavior of this summer. 2023. We cannot forget the high temperatures of the surface waters of the North Atlantic, Which since last spring has been unheard of. This situation is a factor in favor of the intensification of rainfall, which we have verified with many storms that have occurred and will continue to arrive.
Repercussions in Spain
The Aemet summer weather forecasts suggest that the next summer season will be more rainy than usual. According to Aemet experts, this is due to the arrival of more DANA or low pressure troughs "resulting in high convective/storm activity." As a result, July, August and September are expected to be more volatile than usual. However, temperatures are expected to exceed 40 degrees in many parts of the peninsula from the weekend.
Summer will be extraordinary in two ways. On the one hand, the temperature will be higher than normal, on the other hand, the precipitation will also increase than normal. The last days of spring have been stormy with lower maximum and minimum temperatures. Due to the unstable situation, cold air will remain in the upper atmosphere, and the central part of the northern third of the Iberian Peninsula will experience frequent storms. The central system and the southeast region will have a much cooler environment during the last days.
Eight communities on alert
Eight communities in the northern half of the peninsula -Asturias, Aragón, Cantabria, Castilla y León, Galicia, Navarra, the Basque Country and La Rioja- remain on amber alert (risk) this Monday due to storms and rains of up to 20 liters an hour.
In Asturias it persists yellow warning for 15 liters of rain in one hour and storm with possible hail, while in Aragón, the provinces of Huesca and Zaragoza, a yellow warning is issued per hour of rain for 20 liters. Storms with hail and showers with strong gusts of wind.
The provinces of Burgos, León, Palencia and Soria have activated yellow levels due to rain and storms, with the occasional hailstorm, with the highest incidence in the Cantabrian and Iberian Mountains.
As you can see, more and more years are adding volatility due to the effects of climate change. Higher average temperatures, atmospheric instability, rains and storms caused by said instability and other more abnormal atmospheric patterns resulting from the effects of climate change. All this will continue to increase every year and we will have to face it.
I hope that with this information you can learn more about what the Scandinavian Blockade is and how it affects Spain.