Articles | Volume 1, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-1-191-2020
© Author(s) 2020. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-1-191-2020
© Author(s) 2020. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
28 Apr 2020
Research article |
| 28 Apr 2020
| 28 Apr 2020
A Lagrangian analysis of upper-tropospheric anticyclones associated with heat waves in Europe
Philipp Zschenderlein
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Wolfgang-Gaede-Str. 1, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
Stephan Pfahl
Institute of Meteorology, Freie Universität Berlin, Carl-Heinrich-Becker Weg 6–10, 12165 Berlin, Germany
Heini Wernli
Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Science, ETH Zurich, Universitätstr. 16, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
Andreas H. Fink
Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Wolfgang-Gaede-Str. 1, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
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30 citations as recorded by crossref.
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- Gaps and ways forward in atmospheric blocking and extreme weather research L. Wang et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-70487-z
- Drivers and Mechanisms of the 2021 Pacific Northwest Heatwave D. Schumacher et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022EF002967
- Effects of Rossby Waves Breaking and Atmospheric Blocking Formation on the Extreme Forest Fire and Floods in Eastern Siberia 2019 O. Antokhina et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/fire6030122
- Large‐Scale Drivers of Persistent Extreme Weather During Early Summer 2021 in Europe A. Tuel et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022GL099624
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- The 3D Structure of Northern Hemisphere Blocking Events: Climatology, Role of Moisture, and Response to Climate Change E. Nabizadeh et al. https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-21-0141.1
- Heat Waves: Physical Understanding and Scientific Challenges D. Barriopedro et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022RG000780
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- European heatwaves in present and future climate simulations: a Lagrangian analysis L. Schielicke & S. Pfahl https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-3-1439-2022
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- Atmospheric rivers cause warm winters and extreme heat events S. Scholz & J. Lora https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-08238-7
- Lagrangian description of the atmospheric flow from Eulerian tracer advection with relaxation A. Mayer & V. Wirth https://doi.org/10.1002/qj.4453
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- Recurrent Rossby Wave Packets Modulate the Persistence of Dry and Wet Spells Across the Globe S. Ali et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GL091452
- Heat Extremes Driven by Amplification of Phase‐Locked Circumglobal Waves Forced by Topography in an Idealized Atmospheric Model B. Jiménez‐Esteve et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021GL096337
- Cloud radiative effects significantly increase wintertime atmospheric blocking in the Euro-Atlantic sector S. Lubis et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-64672-9
- The sensitivity of atmospheric blocking to upstream latent heating – numerical experiments D. Steinfeld et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-1-405-2020
- Influence of large-scale circulation and local feedbacks on extreme summer heat in Argentina in 2022/23 S. Collazo et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01386-8
- The interaction of warm conveyor belt outflows with the upper-level waveguide: a four-type climatological classification S. Vishnupriya et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-6-1195-2025
- The extremely hot and dry 2018 summer in central and northern Europe from a multi-faceted weather and climate perspective E. Rousi et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-23-1699-2023
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- Evaluation of nine gridded daily weather reconstructions for the European heatwave summer of 1807 P. Stucki et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-22-517-2026
30 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Subseasonal predictability of onset, duration, and intensity of European heat extremes M. Pyrina & D. Domeisen https://doi.org/10.1002/qj.4394
- Assessing Lagrangian coherence in atmospheric blocking H. Schoeller et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/npg-32-51-2025
- Mortality impacts of the most extreme heat events T. Matthews et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43017-024-00635-w
- Gaps and ways forward in atmospheric blocking and extreme weather research L. Wang et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-70487-z
- Drivers and Mechanisms of the 2021 Pacific Northwest Heatwave D. Schumacher et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022EF002967
- Effects of Rossby Waves Breaking and Atmospheric Blocking Formation on the Extreme Forest Fire and Floods in Eastern Siberia 2019 O. Antokhina et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/fire6030122
- Large‐Scale Drivers of Persistent Extreme Weather During Early Summer 2021 in Europe A. Tuel et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022GL099624
- Clear Sky influence on temperature fluctuations in Chefchaouen, Western Rif, Morocco A. Al mashoudi & A. El baye https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-025-12382-3
- Understanding the vertical temperature structure of recent record-shattering heatwaves B. Hotz et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-5-323-2024
- Synoptic-scale drivers of fire weather in Greece G. Papavasileiou & T. Giannaros https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171715
- The 3D Structure of Northern Hemisphere Blocking Events: Climatology, Role of Moisture, and Response to Climate Change E. Nabizadeh et al. https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-21-0141.1
- Heat Waves: Physical Understanding and Scientific Challenges D. Barriopedro et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022RG000780
- Atmospheric blocking and weather extremes over the Euro-Atlantic sector – a review L. Kautz et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-3-305-2022
- Persistent warm and dry extremes over the eastern Mediterranean during winter: The role of North Atlantic blocking and central Mediterranean cyclones S. Berkovic & S. Raveh‐Rubin https://doi.org/10.1002/qj.4308
- European heatwaves in present and future climate simulations: a Lagrangian analysis L. Schielicke & S. Pfahl https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-3-1439-2022
- Prediction and projection of heatwaves D. Domeisen et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43017-022-00371-z
- Enhanced spring warming of the Tibetan Plateau amplifies summer heat stress in Eastern Europe X. Yang et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-024-07197-z
- Atmospheric rivers cause warm winters and extreme heat events S. Scholz & J. Lora https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-08238-7
- Lagrangian description of the atmospheric flow from Eulerian tracer advection with relaxation A. Mayer & V. Wirth https://doi.org/10.1002/qj.4453
- Transient anticyclonic eddies and their relationship to atmospheric block persistence C. Suitters et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-4-683-2023
- A Lagrangian analysis of the dynamical and thermodynamic drivers of large-scale Greenland melt events during 1979–2017 M. Hermann et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-1-497-2020
- Recurrent Rossby Wave Packets Modulate the Persistence of Dry and Wet Spells Across the Globe S. Ali et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GL091452
- Heat Extremes Driven by Amplification of Phase‐Locked Circumglobal Waves Forced by Topography in an Idealized Atmospheric Model B. Jiménez‐Esteve et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021GL096337
- Cloud radiative effects significantly increase wintertime atmospheric blocking in the Euro-Atlantic sector S. Lubis et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-64672-9
- The sensitivity of atmospheric blocking to upstream latent heating – numerical experiments D. Steinfeld et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-1-405-2020
- Influence of large-scale circulation and local feedbacks on extreme summer heat in Argentina in 2022/23 S. Collazo et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01386-8
- The interaction of warm conveyor belt outflows with the upper-level waveguide: a four-type climatological classification S. Vishnupriya et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-6-1195-2025
- The extremely hot and dry 2018 summer in central and northern Europe from a multi-faceted weather and climate perspective E. Rousi et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-23-1699-2023
- How intense daily precipitation depends on temperature and the occurrence of specific weather systems – an investigation with ERA5 reanalyses in the extratropical Northern Hemisphere P. Zschenderlein & H. Wernli https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-3-391-2022
- Evaluation of nine gridded daily weather reconstructions for the European heatwave summer of 1807 P. Stucki et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-22-517-2026
Saved (final revised paper)
Latest update: 03 Jun 2026
Short summary
We analyse the formation of upper-tropospheric anticyclones connected to European surface heat waves. Tracing air masses backwards from these anticyclones, we found that trajectories are diabatically heated in two branches, either by North Atlantic cyclones or by convection closer to the heat wave anticyclone. The first branch primarily affects the onset of the anticyclone, while the second branch is more relevant for the maintenance. Our results are relevant for heat wave predictions.
We analyse the formation of upper-tropospheric anticyclones connected to European surface heat...
