A sharp bout of summer heat is set to grip southern Europe this week, with temperatures climbing to 35°C across Rome and the interiors of Sicily and Sardinia on Sunday before a brief spell of alpine thunderstorms early Tuesday. The respite will be short-lived: from Wednesday, a pulse of the African subtropical anticyclone is expected to push readings beyond 37–38°C in inland Sicily, Sardinia, Calabria and Puglia, while northern Italian cities remain closer to seasonal norms around 28–29°C.
Further north, conditions will be more unsettled. Germany's Deutscher Wetterdienst forecasts a friendly start to the week with highs up to 28°C in the southwest, but rain and thunderstorms are expected to sweep across western and central regions from Tuesday. Meteorologist Nico Bauer has warned of a potentially sharp temperature drop heading into next weekend.
In Austria, Geosphere forecasts a high-summer week with highs building from 27°C on Monday to as much as 36°C in the east by Friday, when an approaching cold front from the west is expected to break the spell.