Recently, the extreme heat observed across Europe has attracted widespread attention not only because of record-breaking temperatures but also due to its severe impact on human health and the increasing number of deaths, particularly among vulnerable groups. The sharp rise in temperatures and humidity across much of the continent has had a direct negative effect on people's quality of life. The intensity of the heat and its spread over vast geographical areas are primarily linked to the shifting of complex baric systems over the region.

Hasan Nabiyev, Senior Researcher at the Institute of Geography of the Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan, PhD in Geography and Associate Professor, spoke to Crossmedia.az about the situation:

"The exceptionally high temperatures across Europe and the decline in precipitation in southern countries are determined by the positioning of baric systems over the region. The presence of a low-pressure area (cyclonic conditions) over Central and Eastern Europe, combined with the establishment of a subtropical high-pressure system over North Africa and a northward-directed pressure gradient, allows the North African subtropical anticyclone and its high-pressure ridges to extend across Southern Europe. At the same time, warm air masses from Southwest Asia move through the North Caucasus and further into northern European Russia, leading to a significant increase in temperatures."

The expert noted that this is not an unusual phenomenon:

"The summer of 2021 was also remembered for similar heatwaves across Europe. The persistence of exceptionally high temperatures over areas extending as far north as the Scandinavian Peninsula accelerated the melting of Arctic sea ice. This, in turn, contributed to the formation of highly moisture-laden cyclones, which later moved southward and caused severe damage. Summers in Southern Europe and Azerbaijan are typically hot and dry because tropical air masses dominate these regions during the season. Therefore, such conditions are not unusual for populations living in southern areas. However, in Central European countries, the combination of high temperatures and elevated humidity has a much more adverse impact on human health."

crossmedia.az