Strengthening gradients in the tropical west Pacific connect to European summer temperatures on sub-seasonal timescales

van Straaten, Chiem; Coumou, Dim; Whan, Kirien; van den Hurk, Bart; Schmeits, Maurice

doi:https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-4-887-2023

Articles | Volume 4, issue 4

https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-4-887-2023

© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-4-887-2023

© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Articles | Volume 4, issue 4

Research article

|

27 Oct 2023

Research article |

| 27 Oct 2023

Strengthening gradients in the tropical west Pacific connect to European summer temperatures on sub-seasonal timescales

Chiem van Straaten, Dim Coumou, Kirien Whan, Bart van den Hurk, and Maurice Schmeits

Data sets

Pacific Decadal Oscillation Index I. Schroeder https://oceanview.pfeg.noaa.gov/erddap/tabledap/cciea_OC_PDO.html

Model code and software

Telegates C. van Straaten https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10036933

Short summary

Variability in the tropics can influence weather over Europe. This study evaluates a summertime connection between the two. It shows that strongly opposing west Pacific sea surface temperature anomalies have occurred more frequently since 1980, likely due to a combination of long-term warming in the west Pacific and the El Niño Southern Oscillation. Three to six weeks later, the distribution of hot and cold airmasses over Europe is affected.