North African Heat Domes: A Recurring Pattern in European Summers

Hot, dry air from North Africa formed a heat dome — a trapped high-pressure system — over Spain and Portugal in summer 2026, spreading heat into France, Switzerland, and Italy. This echoed a June 2025 event that triggered warnings across 17 Italian cities. With Western Europe's warmest June–July on record, the repeat suggests these episodes are becoming structural, not exceptional.