Why are we witnessing a heat wave in parts of France and Germany while floods are occurring in Spain and Greece?

The answer lies in the Omega configuration, an atmospheric blocking pattern at high latitudes where warm air is confined by deflecting cold air pockets in the form of a DANA to the south.

In the satellite images of yesterday, September 4th, we can appreciate:

🌀 The interaction between the DANA that affected Spain over the weekend and the remnants of Hurricane Franklin over the Iberian peninsula

🏜️ Saharan dust incursion towards France and northern Europe as a consequence of the southerly flow of the warm air mass that is causing the heatwave in France.

⛈️ Convective clouds over Greece probably with severe weather and thunderstorms associated

What are the consequences?

DANA in Spain ⛈️

Catastrophic DANA in Spain leaves flooding the past weekend in large areas of the southwest of the Community of Madrid and Toledo among other areas such as Cadiz, Granada, Avila, Tarragona, or Castellon

Heatwave in France 🌡️

Heat wave in France may leave temperatures close to 37ºC in large inland regions according to Meteo-France.

DANA in Greece ⛈️

⚠️🔴 Extreme flood alert in Greece today, September 5th, due to the torrential rains generated by storm Daniel