Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Exceptionally Hot Summers Months in Central and Eastern Europe During the Years 1951–2010

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Causes, Impacts and Solutions to Global Warming

Abstract

This chapter reports a study of extremely hot months (EHMs) during the period 1951–2010. Input data includes average, maximum and minimum monthly air temperatures, the number of days with tmax >25, 30, 35 °C and the number of days with tmin >20 °C, as recorded during three summer months (June–August) at 59 weather stations in Central and Eastern Europe. This body of data was used to identify and characterise EHMs, which were defined as months with an average monthly temperature exceeding the long-term average by two or more standard deviations (t ≥ tav. + 2σ). The frequency and geographical coverage of EHMs were also identified.

Over the 60-year study period a total of 47 EHMs of various sizes and location were identified of which 15 occurred at only 1–2 stations and another 15 at 3–6 stations. The remaining 17 EHMs, which occurred at more than 6 stations (i.e. more than 10 % of all stations), were selected for an in depth analysis. Their distribution during the study period was found to be uneven with just 6 EHMs during the first 50 years and 11 during the final decade. The EHMs with the greatest geographical extent occurred in Russia in June (36 stations) and August (34) 2010, in August 2007 (25), August 1972 (19), June 1999 (19) and August 1992 (17). The average temperature in a typical EHM was 3–5 °C greater than the long-term average (scale of anomaly), but sometimes it reached 5–6 °C greater.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 169.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Twardosz R, Kossowska-Cezak U (2012) Exceptionally hot summers in central and eastern Europe (1951–2010), Theor Appl Climatol 112:617–628. doi:10.1007/s00704-012-0757-0

    Google Scholar 

  2. Błażejczyk K, McGregor G (2007) Warunki biotermiczne a umieralność w wybranych aglomeracjach europejskich. Przegląd Geograficzny 3–4:401–423

    Google Scholar 

  3. Hutter HP, Moshammer H, Wallner P, Leitner B, Kundi M (2007) Heatwaves in Vienna: effects on mortality. Wien Klin Wochenschr 119(7–8):223–227

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Twardosz R (2009) Fale niezwykłych upałów w Europie na początku XXI wieku. Przegląd Geofizyczny 3–4:193–204

    Google Scholar 

  5. Muthers S, Matzarakis A, Koch E (2010) Climate change and mortality in Vienna—a human biometeorological analysis based on regional climate modeling. Int J Environ Res Public Health 7:2965–2977

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Barriopedro D, Fischer EM, Luterbacher J, Trigo RM, García-Herrera R (2011) The Hot summer of 2010: redrawing the temperature record map of Europe. Science 332(6026):220–224

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Revich BA, Shaposhnikov DA (2012) Climate change, heat waves, and cold spells as risk factors for increased mortality in some regions of Russia. Stud Russ Econ Dev 23(2):195–207

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Meehl GA, Tebaldi C (2004) More intense, more frequent, and longer lasting heat waves in the 21st century. Science 305:994–997

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Révész A (2008) Stochastic behaviour of heat waves and temperature in Hungary. Appl Ecol Environ Res 6(4):85–100

    Google Scholar 

  10. Kürbis K, Mudelsee M, Tetzlaff G, Brázdil R (2009) Trends in extremes of temperature, dew point, and precipitation from long instrumental series from central Europe. Theor Appl Climatol 98:187–195

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Bardin MY (2011) Scenary forecasts of air temperature variations for the regions of the Russian Federation up to 2030 using the empirical stochastic climate models. Russ Meteorol Hydrol 36(4):217–228

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Fischer EM, Schär C (2010) Consistent geographical patterns of changes in high-impact European heat waves. Nat Geosci 3:398–403

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Black E, Sutton R (2007) The influence of oceanic conditions on the hot European summer of 2003. Clim Dyn 28:53–66

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Della-Marta PM, Luterbacher J, von Weissenfluh H, Xoplaki E, Brunet M, Wanner H (2007) Summer heat waves over western Europe 1880–2003, their relationship to large-scale forcings and predictability. Clim Dyn 29:251–275

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Feudale L, Shukla J (2011) Influence of sea surface temperature on the European heat wave of 2003 summer. Part I: an observational study. Clim Dyn 36(9–10):1691–1703

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Dole R, Hoerling M, Perlwitz J, Eischeid J, Pegion P, Zhang T, Quan XW, Xu T, Murray D (2011) Was there a basis for anticipating the 2010 Russian heat wave? Geophys Res Lett 38, L06702. doi:10.1029/2010GL046582

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Zveryaev I, Zyulyaeva Yu, Gulev S, Koltermann P (2012) Intercomparison of the Russian Summer HeatWaves of 2010 and 1972. Geophysical Research Abstracts, 14: EGU2012-9714, 2012, EGU General Assembly 2012

    Google Scholar 

  18. Schär C, Vidale PL, Lüthi D, Frei C, Häberli C, Liniger MA, Appenzeller C (2004) The role of increasing temperature variability in European summer heatwaves. Nature 427:332–336

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Stott DA, Stone DA, Allen MR (2004) Human contribution to the European heatwave of 2003. Nature 432:610–614

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Gruza GV, Ran’kova EYA (2011) Estimation of probable contribution of global warming to the genesis of abnormally hot summers in the European part of Russia. Izvestiya, Atmospheric Oceanic Physics 47(6):661–664

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Gerstengarbe FW, Werner PC (1992) The time structure of extreme summers in central Europe between 1901 and 1980. Meteorol Zeitschrift NF 1:285–289

    Google Scholar 

  22. Filipiuk E, Kaszewski BM (2000) Hot and cold summer in Central Europe (1871–1990). Prace Geograficzne 108:149–154

    Google Scholar 

  23. Twardosz R, Batko A (2012) Heat waves in Central Europe (1991–2006). Int J Global Warming 4:261–272, Nos 3/4

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. WMO (1996) Climatological normals (CLINO) for the period 1961–1990. WMO, Geneva

    Google Scholar 

  25. Kossowska-Cezak U (1993) Lato roku 1992 w Polsce na tle sezonów letnich ostatnich 120 lat. Przegląd Geofizyczny 1:67–74

    Google Scholar 

  26. Auswirkungen des Hitzesommer 2003 auf die Gewässer. Dokumentation. 2004, Schriftenreiche Umwelt, Nr 369. Gewässerschutz, Bern

    Google Scholar 

  27. Fink AH, Brücher T, Krüger A, Leckebusch GC, Pinto JG, Ulbrich U (2004) The 2003 European summer heatwaves and drought—synoptic diagnosis and impacts. Weather 59(8):209–216

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Chase TN, Wolter RA, Pielke SR, Rasool I (2006) Was the 2003 European summer heat wave unusual in a global context? Geophys Res Lett 33:L23709

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. D’Ippoliti D, Michelozzi P, Marino C, de’Donato F, Menne B, Katsouyanni K, Kirchmayer U, Analitis A, Medina-Ramón M, Paldy A, Atkinson R, Kovats S, Bisanti L, Schneider A, Lefranc A, Ińiguez C, Peruccilet CA (2010) The impact of heat waves on mortality in 9 European cities: results from the EuroHEAT project. Environ Health 9(37):1–9

    Google Scholar 

  30. Founda D, Giannakopoulos C (2009) The exceptionally hot summer of 2007 in Athens, Greece—A typical summer in the future climate? Global Planet Change 67(3–4):227–236

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Zvyagintsev AM, Blum OB, Glazkova AA, Kotel’nikov SN, Kuznetsova IN, Lapchenko VA, Lezina EA, Miller EA, Milyaev VA, Popikov AP (2011) Air pollution over European Russia and ukraine under the hot summer conditions of 2010. Izvestiya, Atmospheric Oceanic Physics 47(6):699–707

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Climatology, Jagiellonian University, ul. Gronostajowa 7, 30-387, Kraków, Poland

    Robert Twardosz

  2. Department of Climatology, Faculty of Geography and Regional Studies, Warsaw University, ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 30, 00-927, Warszawa, Poland

    Urszula Kossowska-Cezak

Authors
  1. Robert Twardosz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Urszula Kossowska-Cezak
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Robert Twardosz .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Ontario Institute of Technology, Oshawa, Ontario, Canada

    Ibrahim Dincer

  2. Makina Muhendisligi Bolumu, Dokuz Eylul University, Buca, Izmir, Turkey

    Can Ozgur Colpan

  3. Faculty of Civil Engineering, Istanbul Technical University, Maslak, Istanbul, Turkey

    Fethi Kadioglu

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Twardosz, R., Kossowska-Cezak, U. (2013). Exceptionally Hot Summers Months in Central and Eastern Europe During the Years 1951–2010. In: Dincer, I., Colpan, C., Kadioglu, F. (eds) Causes, Impacts and Solutions to Global Warming. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7588-0_2

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7588-0_2

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-7587-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-7588-0

  • eBook Packages: EnergyEnergy (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation