American meteorologists predict that violent thunderstorms will threaten Greece and the rest of the Balkans during the summer, while parts of Europe will experience intense heat.
The warning by AccuWeather, a media company that provides commercial weather forecasting services worldwide, says that violent thunderstorms will threaten Greece to Serbia, Romania, and Bulgaria as disturbances track into the region from the Mediterranean, as well as from eastern Europe and Russia.
“These storms will bring frequent lightning, flooding downpours and damaging winds and hail,” AccuWeather Meteorologist Tyler Roys said. “The strongest storms will be capable of producing tornadoes.”
Severe thunderstorms will most likely be during the afternoon and evening hours. The greatest risk will be for damaging winds, hail and flash flooding.
Though the region will not be immune from heat waves, extreme heat will be limited, AccuWeather says.
According to the meteorologists, the biggest story of the summer is likely to be the long-duration heat waves that will grip areas from Portugal and Spain to Poland and Hungary.
The heat will begin in June across the Iberian Peninsula before spreading north and eastward throughout the summer months.
The intense heat waves and long spells of dry weather throughout the summer will bring a high risk for wildfires to much of western and central Europe.
The areas at greatest risk will be from northern Portugal into northern Spain and from the Alps into Germany and the Czech Republic.