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A powerful heatwave has been gripping large parts of southern Europe and North Africa, pushing air temperatures beyond seasonal norms and triggering widespread health and wildfire alerts. Among the hardest-hit countries are Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Cyprus, and Algeria.<\/p>\n
This image, a mosaic from five overlapping orbital passes in the morning of 29 June 2025, was captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-3 mission\u2019s Sea and Land Surface Temperature Radiometer. As the instrument\u2019s name suggests, the image reveals the temperature of the land surface, not air temperature<\/b>. Unlike measurements of air temperature, this satellite instrument measures the actual thermal energy emitted from Earth\u2019s surface, which typically registers higher than air temperatures. Click on ‘download’ (above) for the ‘hi-res’ annotated image.<\/p>\n
It’s not just the surface of the land that\u2019s hot, so too is the sea surface of the Mediterranean Sea \u2013 as the image also shows using information from the Copernicus Marine Service.<\/p>\n
Monitoring land-surface temperature is crucial for understanding and forecasting weather and climate patterns, tracking wildfire risks, supporting farmers with irrigation planning, and guiding urban design to better mitigate heat.<\/p>\n
The current heatwave is being driven by a high-pressure system stalled over Western Europe, commonly referred to as a \u2018heat dome\u2019. This system acts like a lid, trapping hot, dry air and amplifying temperatures over time. As it shifts eastward, it is also drawing in additional hot air from North Africa, further exacerbating the extreme heat across the region.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n