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People cool off in the Trocadero Fountain near the Eiffel Tower as temperatures soar across France on June 22 (local time). / Courtesy of Reuters-Yonhap

As a severe heatwave continues to grip Western Europe, meteorological experts are pointing to an "Omega Block"—a phenomenon where the upper atmosphere forms a massive blocking high-pressure system—as the primary driver behind the extreme weather.

According to a report by Reuters on the 24th (local time), the impact of the Omega Block has caused temperatures in parts of Western Europe to spike by more than 18 degrees Celsius above seasonal averages.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) analyzed that climate change is intensifying these atmospheric stagnation events, which in turn is causing Europe to warm more than twice as fast as the global average.

Named for its resemblance to the Greek letter Omega, the Omega Block phenomenon occurs when a convex high-pressure system at the center traps hot air, creating a massive heat dome that locks prolonged heatwaves into specific regions.

Positioned right at the center of this Omega Block, countries such as France and the United Kingdom are suffering from a steep rise in temperatures.

The UK Met Office announced that the temperature in Gosport, southern England, hit 36.1 degrees Celsius, breaking the previous June record of 35.6 degrees Celsius set in 1957 and 1976. British authorities have issued heat health alerts, forcing hundreds of schools to dismiss early or close entirely.

Paris, France, also logged an all-time June high of 40.9 degrees Celsius, while the southwestern region of Pissos saw temperatures soar to 44.3 degrees Celsius. Météo-France warned that the severity of this heatwave, driven by atmospheric stagnation, mirrors the pattern of the summer heatwave in 2003, which claimed tens of thousands of lives across Europe. French authorities have currently placed 72 regions nationwide under the highest-level red alert.

The human toll continues to mount. In France, 48 people have drowned after heading to bodies of water to cool off, and two children died from overheating inside vehicles.

Spain’s meteorological agency stated that two elderly individuals succumbed to heatstroke as temperatures consistently hovered above 40 degrees Celsius.

Meteorological experts projected that as global warming narrows the temperature gap between the Arctic and mid-latitudes, the jet stream is weakening. Consequently, atmospheric stagnation events like the Omega Block are expected to occur more frequently and persist for longer durations.

                                                                                                          Lee Jung-eun