People cool off at the Trocadero fountain next to the Eiffel Tower in Paris (Photo: Reuters).
In recent days, Europe has been experiencing one of the most severe heatwaves ever recorded.
Many countries, including France, Germany, Spain , Italy, and Hungary, recorded temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius, leading to wildfires, putting pressure on power systems, and increasing heat-related deaths.
Notably, according to an analysis by the magazine Le Grand Continent , on June 24th, the average temperature in France was higher than the temperature recorded over approximately 30.8% of the Sahara Desert.
This comparison is surprising because the Sahara Desert has long been known as the world's largest hot desert.
Understanding the correct temperature of the Sahara Desert
Many people imagine the Sahara as a land where temperatures consistently exceed 45-50 degrees Celsius. In reality, the world's largest desert covers an area of over 9 million square kilometers, stretching across many North African countries with diverse topography and meteorological conditions.
The Sahara Desert is the world's largest hot desert and also the third largest desert on Earth, after Antarctica and the Arctic (two cold deserts).
Temperatures in the Sahara vary considerably depending on location, altitude, time of day, cloud cover, and atmospheric circulation. While some areas can exceed 45 degrees Celsius in the afternoon, many others fluctuate between 25 and 35 degrees Celsius.
Therefore, if an extreme heatwave causes much of France to simultaneously exceed 40 degrees Celsius, it is not impossible for the country's average temperature to be higher than that of a portion of the Sahara Desert during the same period.
According to data from the French Meteorological Agency, the national temperature index on June 24 reached approximately 30°C - the highest level since the modern observation system was established in 1947.
The "culprit" behind the historic heatwave
According to AP News, the main reason many European countries are experiencing record-breaking heatwaves is the heat dome phenomenon.
This is a strong high-pressure area that acts like a giant "lid" covering the atmosphere, keeping hot air near the ground for days.
Under the influence of this system, the air mass is compressed down to the lower layers of the atmosphere, causing the temperature to rise according to the laws of physics.
At the same time, the high-pressure area restricts cloud formation and weakens convection, making it difficult for heat to dissipate. Therefore, temperatures continue to accumulate and remain high for a long time.
The heatwave was further amplified by a stream of hot air moving from North Africa toward Western Europe. When combined with the heat dome, this hot air mass was trapped longer than usual, causing temperatures in many areas to rise to record levels.
According to climate experts, the worrying aspect is not that France is sometimes hotter than parts of the Sahara, but rather the trend of such extreme weather events occurring with increasing frequency.
Instead of simply asking why a temperate country can sometimes be hotter than the world's most famous desert, the bigger question scientists are asking is: how often will such records be broken in the coming decades if global temperatures continue to rise?