European heat wave breaks with severe weather, flooding that will last into Sunday
The deadly European heat wave will continue to wind down through Sunday, with the heat yielding to cooler weather and even the threat of heavy rain and flooding in some areas.
All-time record highs fell in several countries on Thursday as temperatures surged above 40 C (104 F) in many areas.
Despite the heat breaking across much of western Europe on Friday, the abnormal heat persisted across Scandinavia and much of central Europe.
A field is watered as the sun rises in Lebus, eastern Germany,Friday, July 26, 2019. (Patrick Pleul/dpa via AP) (Patrick Pleul/dpa via AP)
The city of Bergen, Norway broke its all-time record on Friday, reaching a high of 33.4 C (92 F). The previous record was 32.2 C (90 F). Bergen is considered to be Europe's wettest city, which makes extreme heat unusual.
According to the Norwegian Meteorological Institute, only the two northernmost counties and the southernmost county in the country remained below 30 degrees C on Friday.
The combination of the heat and dry weather led to fire bans across portions of Sweden, including the capital of Stockholm, to help limit the risk of wildfires.
Temperatures surged even near the Arctic Circle, with temperatures reaching at least 31 C (88 F) on Friday in Gallivare, Sweden.
The heat also continued across Germany on Friday, where Dusseldorf and Cologne surpassed 38 C (100 F) for the third straight day. Rome, Italy, saw the mercury climb to 35 C (95 F) for the fourth straight day as well.
The extreme heat came to a crashing end in some areas on Thursday and Friday with widespread showers and thunderstorms. Thunderstorms rumbled across the United Kingdom late Thursday and Thursday night, bringing heavy rain, hail and vivid lightning.
As the heat wave broke in France on Friday, locally severe thunderstorms accompanied the cold front. Storms produced mudslides and hail that covered the ground not far from the town of Val d’Isère, which halted Friday's stage of the Tour de France.
Temperatures will be pretty close to average across much of Europe over the weekend, but the weather will remain unsettled with the risk for showers and thunderstorms persisting.
A storm system over the northern Mediterranean Sea brought rain and thunderstorms to southeastern France, Switzerland and northern Italy on Sunday, which marked the end of the very warm air over the region.
Drier weather will return early this week to much of western Europe as temperatures hold much closer to average for the end of July.
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