Denmark’s weather agency DMI has warned of high temperatures across most of the country as temperatures are set to soar past 30C.
The heat wave will start to roll over Denmark from Wednesday, with temperatures of as much as 33C expected by Friday and Saturday, the Danish Meteorological Institute forecast on Monday.
The institute on Monday issued a Category 1 warning for a heat wave for the entire country, apart from the islands of Bornholm, Samsø and Læsø. TV2 Weather went one further, predicting that over this weekend Denmark might even top the 35.5C record for June temperatures set in June 1947.
“It is still uncertain what the highest temperatures will be, but current forecasts indicate that temperatures may become so high and persistent that the criteria for a heat wave will be met in several places in the country,” DMI meteorologist Sandra Nygaard said in a statement.
DMI is defined a “heat wave” as a period when the average of the highest temperatures over three consecutive days exceeds 28 degrees.
Nygaard advised people in Denmark to take precautions to avoid becoming overheated.
“Several days of hot temperatures can strain the body. You can prevent heatstroke by, among other things, seeking shade, drinking plenty of water and wearing a hat and loose-fitting clothing,” she wrote.
Nygaard said that DMI might upgrade the warning from Category 1, defined as “severe weather”, to Category 2, defined as “hazardous weather” over the coming days.
Scientists have shown that recurring heatwaves are a clear marker of global warming, primarily caused by burning coal, oil and gas, and warn they are set to become more frequent, longer and more intense.
DMI has issued a Category 1 ‘severe weather’ warning for everywhere in Denmark apart from the islands of Samsø, Bornholm, and Læsø. Image: DMI
