Go Back
  • For Business
  • |
  • Warnings
  • Data Suite
  • Forensics
  • Advertising
  • Superior Accuracy™
Flash floods kill 2 in New Jersey, strand subway riders in NYC Chevron right
Tropical rainstorm soaks Florida, could strengthen in Gulf before targeting Louisiana Chevron right

Columbus, OH

90°F
Location Chevron down
Location News Videos
Use Current Location
Recent

Columbus

Ohio

90°
No results found.
Try searching for a city, zip code or point of interest.
settings
Columbus, OH Weather
Today WinterCast Local {stormName} Tracker Hourly Daily Radar MinuteCast Monthly Air Quality Health & Activities

Around the Globe

Hurricane Tracker

Severe Weather

Radar & Maps

News

News & Features

Astronomy

Business

Climate

Health

Recreation

Sports

Travel

For Business

Warnings

Data Suite

Forensics

Advertising

Superior Accuracy™

Video

Winter Center

AccuWeather Early Hurricane Center Top Stories Trending Today Astronomy Heat Climate Health Recreation In Memoriam Case Studies Blogs & Webinars
Air Quality Alert

News / Weather Forecasts

AccuWeather's 2020 Europe autumn forecast

By Mark Puleo, AccuWeather staff writer

Published Aug 20, 2020 6:11 PM EDT

Copied

Businesses flooded as Storm Ellen battered Skibbereen, Ireland, on Aug. 19. The storm’s powerful winds brought down numerous trees and caused power outages for hundreds of thousands of customers.

After a spring and summer spent toggling between lockdowns and loosening restrictions, only for those restrictions to come back, Europeans across the continent are hopeful that the changing of seasons will bring a return of normalcy this autumn. While any Coronavirus pandemic forecast remains a guess at best, AccuWeather meteorologists can shed light on what kind of weather conditions the continent can expect this fall.

Drought has gripped numerous regions through the summer, but thankfully rain and cooler weather are on the way. Will they come to the needed regions?

Plus, how will the historically busy Atlantic hurricane season impact western Europeans this fall? A few countries could see more than their usual share of stormy conditions.

Tropical threats and windstorm worries

A historically active 2020 Atlantic hurricane season may be drawing more headlines in North America than Europe, but the increased number of tropical systems also means an increased chance for some of those systems to track back across the Atlantic and impact Western Europe as a tropical rainstorm. According to AccuWeather Meteorologist Tyler Roys, tropical rainstorms can impact Europe in a variety of different forms, from light winds to heavy gusts, little rain to extensive flooding.

AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alan Reppert added that areas of Spain, Portugal and France may benefit from those rainstorms as the lack of summer precipitation sent some regions into drought.

Windstorm Ellen arrived far earlier than usual when it approached the United Kingdom in August of 2020. (Satellite via NASA)

Outside of tropical impacts, a northern storm track in the first half of the autumn season will mean a higher threat for windstorms in the northwestern and western portions of the continent.

“With a northern storm track in the first half of the season, Northwest Europe (British Isles, Norway to the northern half of France and northern Germany) will see a higher threat for windstorms then the southern half of France through Portugal,” Roys said. “That doesn’t mean we can’t get a couple of impacts to southwestern Europe during this time.”

In the second half of the season, that weather pattern is expected to flip, as a more southern storm track will bring increased windstorm threats to southern France and Portugal, while threats across Germany and northern France decrease.

Manchester United's manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer stands in the rain during a training session in Cologne, Germany Sunday Aug. 9, 2020. Copenhagen will play Manchester United in a Europa League quarterfinal soccer match on Monday. (AP Photo/Sascha Steinbach, Pool)

“Windstorms will have the ability to not only be big wind producers that lead to tree damage and power outages, but will also have the ability to produce flooding,” Roys said, referencing the flooding from earlier this year in the United Kingdom. He added that exposed beaches along the coast could be at risk for beach erosion.

The windstorm season, which normally runs from October to April, got off to a notably early start in 2020. On Aug. 19, AccuWeather meteorologists shared a forecast of a windstorm that was gearing up to impact the United Kingdom. Since 1990, only 11 other windstorms had ever impacted the continent in August.

Lingering heat to come with dry conditions before shift in second half of season

The switch from summer to fall won’t be noticeable for many Europeans, as lingering high temperatures will hold through September in the western and central portions of the continent.

In Spain, the combination of heat and dry conditions could make conditions feel extra warm for the first part of fall.

A boy swims at a swimming pool on a hot day of summer in Rivas Vaciamadrid, Spain, Friday, July 31, 2020. Spain's national weather agency says several parts of the country have set record temperatures during a heat wave. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

“This could mean a couple chances for places like Paris, Frankfurt, Luxembourg. Cologne and Berlin to also top 32 degrees Celsius (90 F),” Roys said. “The last time these places did it was in the middle of September, 2016. Now, while the warmth lingers in the first half of autumn, doesn’t mean that it will be totally dry as well.”

As Reppert mentioned, areas such as Ireland and the United Kingdom could see both above-average temperatures and above-average precipitation.

“The warmth will battle the threat for rainfall and cooler weather over much of the British Isles,” Reppert said. “This will lead to a near to even a bit above average autumn for temperatures, and some areas may see well above-average rainfall as tropical systems shift to windstorms later in the season.”

Farther east, Roys said an incredibly wet summer for areas in Norway and Finland will continue into a rainier-than-usual autumn, thanks to the northern European storm track expected. The break from the rain threat won't arrive until the second half of the season, when the weather pattern flips and conditions should dry out and maybe even warm up before winter.

Rainfall, early snow season and wildfire worries

A hydroplane operates on a wildfire in Canary Islands, Spain, Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2019. The wind dropped in the Canary Islands Tuesday, allowing firefighters to make progress against Spain's biggest wildfire so far this year and raising the possibility some evacuated residents may soon be able to return home. (AP Photo/Arturo Jimenez)

While many areas in western Europe have felt the grip of a drought in the summer, it was ample rainfall in the spring that may actually cause concern this fall around the Iberian Peninsula.

"This season will also see a rather intense but short fire season as the rainfall in the spring set the stage for ample fuel for the fires," Reppert said. "Before autumn storms move in, the fire threat will be focused early in the season with much less activity later in autumn."

Farther north, Reppert said warm conditions in the United Kingdom will ward off rainy and cooler weather in the beginning of the autumn, but a shift in the middle of the season will usher in above-average rainfall later in the season.

CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP

In central and southeastern Europe, that same mid-season shift will bring wintry conditions for some locations.

"A pattern shift for the middle of autumn will bring some stormy and cooler weather through central Europe into southeastern Europe," Reppert said. "This will bring some above-average snowfall in the higher elevations of the Alps and the ski resorts. This may also bring an earlier start to the ski season for some resorts, especially in the central Alps."

Roys added that if any moderate accumulations of snow does occur in areas of the interior Balkan valleys and northern Ukraine, significant damage could occur if leaves are still on trees.

"As we move into the drier pattern across northern Europe, the threat for cold shots into Poland, Germany and even eastern France increases as they will come from the northeast," Roys said. "This in turn could lead to slightly below-normal temperatures across Germany and especially Poland, but also the Baltic States and even northern Ukraine.

And with the cold air intrusions, the threat for winter weather will return to some areas.

"With that, chances for snow will increase in places like Poland, Belarus and the Baltic States into northern Ukraine. We're not expecting above-normal snowfall, but there could be several days with fall flurries or light snow," Roys said.

Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.

Report a Typo
Comments that don't add to the conversation may be automatically or manually removed by Facebook or AccuWeather. Profanity, personal attacks, and spam will not be tolerated.
Comments
Hide Comments

Weather News

Weather News

Inside the grueling recovery effort after Texas’ deadly flood

Jul. 15, 2025
Severe Weather

Flash flooding swamps Northeast metro areas as extreme rain threatens ...

Jul. 15, 2025
Weather Forecasts

Flood-weary Texas finally drying out, but near 100-degree heat looms

Jul. 15, 2025
Weather News

The Deadliest Floods in Texas History: A State at Risk

Jul. 14, 2025
video

Before-and-after pictures show devastation caused by Texas floods

Jul. 9, 2025
Severe Weather

Severe weather to rumble in the central US through the holiday weekend

Jul. 6, 2025
Weather News

Record sargassum seaweed piles up on Caribbean islands, Gulf

Jul. 2, 2025
Weather News

Alabama teen in ICU after lightning strike hits boat, causing burns an...

Jul. 2, 2025
Show more Show less Chevron down

Topics

AccuWeather Early

Hurricane Center

Top Stories

Trending Today

Astronomy

Heat

Climate

Health

Recreation

In Memoriam

Case Studies

Blogs & Webinars

Top Stories

Weather News

Inside the grueling recovery effort after Texas’ deadly flood

5 hours ago

Weather Forecasts

Flood-weary Texas finally drying out, but near 100-degree heat looms

1 hour ago

Hurricane

Tropical Rainstorm to drench Florida, Gulf Coast

2 hours ago

Weather News

Grand Canyon fires force closures

11 hours ago

Weather Forecasts

Flash flood dangers far from over as storms reload across US

2 hours ago

More Stories

Featured Stories

Astronomy

Noctilucent clouds shimmer in summer sky

1 day ago

Recreation

Yellowstone’s landscape shifts again with discovery of new hot pool

1 day ago

Weather News

Orcas are bringing humans gifts of food – but why?

4 days ago

Weather News

Giant shoes found spark mystery around the soldiers of ancient Rome

1 day ago

Weather News

It’s not just humans – chimpanzees also like to follow trends

1 day ago

AccuWeather Weather Forecasts AccuWeather's 2020 Europe autumn forecast
Company
Proven Superior Accuracy About AccuWeather Digital Advertising Careers Press Contact Us
Products & Services
For Business For Partners For Advertising AccuWeather APIs AccuWeather Connect RealFeel® and RealFeel Shade™ Personal Weather Stations
Apps & Downloads
iPhone App Android App See all Apps & Downloads
Subscription Services
AccuWeather Premium AccuWeather Professional
More
AccuWeather Ready Business Health Hurricane Leisure and Recreation Severe Weather Space and Astronomy Sports Travel Weather News Winter Center
Company
Proven Superior Accuracy About AccuWeather Digital Advertising Careers Press Contact Us
Products & Services
For Business For Partners For Advertising AccuWeather APIs AccuWeather Connect RealFeel® and RealFeel Shade™ Personal Weather Stations
Apps & Downloads
iPhone App Android App See all Apps & Downloads
Subscription Services
AccuWeather Premium AccuWeather Professional
More
AccuWeather Ready Business Health Hurricane Leisure and Recreation Severe Weather Space and Astronomy Sports Travel Weather News Winter Center
© 2025 AccuWeather, Inc. "AccuWeather" and sun design are registered trademarks of AccuWeather, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy | About Your Privacy Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information

...

...

...