Weather and Climate Dynamics
Weather and Climate Dynamics
WCD
Articles | Volume 7, issue 1
Articles | Volume 7, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-7-439-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-7-439-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Articles | Volume 7, issue 1
Research article
 | 
24 Feb 2026
Research article |  | 24 Feb 2026

The role of atmospheric circulation changes in Western European warm season heat extremes

Douwe Sierk Noest, Izidine Pinto, Vikki Thompson, and Dim Coumou

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Interactive discussion

Status: closed

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse

Peer review completion

AR – Author's response | RR – Referee report | ED – Editor decision | EF – Editorial file upload
AR by Izidine Pinto on behalf of the Authors (26 Nov 2025)  Author's response   Author's tracked changes   Manuscript 
ED: Referee Nomination & Report Request started (15 Dec 2025) by Christian Grams
RR by Anonymous Referee #1 (06 Jan 2026)
RR by Anonymous Referee #2 (09 Jan 2026)
ED: Publish subject to minor revisions (review by editor) (16 Jan 2026) by Christian Grams
AR by Izidine Pinto on behalf of the Authors (01 Feb 2026)  Author's response   Author's tracked changes   Manuscript 
ED: Publish as is (13 Feb 2026) by Christian Grams
AR by Izidine Pinto on behalf of the Authors (16 Feb 2026)  Manuscript 
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Short summary
Spring and summer heat extremes in Western Europe have intensified much faster than the global average since 1950. Spring warming is mainly driven by thermodynamical effects, while circulation changes explain over a third of local trends, with more frequent southerly flow patterns contributing. Climate models capture extreme trends in individual runs but underestimate observed warming. Open questions about forced change versus natural variability remain.
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