NARA Discovery
Article Details
← Back to Search Results
Journal Article

Two Types of Summer Concurrent Heatwaves Across Eurasia and Their Precursor Signals

Zihan Zhang; Gang Zeng; Aminu Dalhatu Datti; Chen Chen; Yining Tao; Zhongxian Li
International Journal of Climatology · 2026

Abstract

Concurrent heatwaves (CHWs) across summer mid‐high latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere pose severe threats to public health, agriculture, and ecosystem stability due to their increasing frequency and intensity. Understanding their spatial patterns and underlying physical mechanisms is therefore crucial for improving regional climate resilience and enhancing disaster preparedness. However, systematic knowledge on the typical spatial types of CHWs over Eurasia, as well as their precursor signals and dynamic drivers, remains limited. To advance understanding in this regard, this study employs a hierarchical clustering approach to identify two dominant spatial modes of summer CHWs across Eurasia. During 1979–2023, Type 1 CHWs are mainly concentrated over Eastern Europe, Central Siberia, and Northeast Asia. Their evolution is associated with a Northern Hemisphere Rossby wave characterised by wavenumber 5 and is statistically linked to cold anomalies over the North Atlantic (NA) and southwest of Novaya Zemlya (SWNZ), which may act as important precursor signals modulating wave activity. Type 2 CHWs predominantly occur across Northern Europe–Western Siberia and Eastern Siberia. These events are related to a Rossby wave train with wavenumber 3 and show significant connections with warm anomalies over the NA and cold anomalies over the southeast of Novaya Zemlya (SENZ). To further verify these partial dynamic pathways, numerical experiments with a linear baroclinic model (LBM) show that the model can qualitatively reproduce key observed circulation responses linking the precursor thermal anomalies to the development of CHWs over Eurasia, but it cannot fully capture all intricate regional coupled processes governing heatwave evolution. These findings provide a partial mechanistic basis for improving forecasts of concurrent heatwaves and support targeted early warning systems.

Bibliographic Information

JournalInternational Journal of Climatology
PublisherWiley
Publication Date2026-07-29
Publication Year2026
Document TypeJournal Article
Print ISSN0899-8418
eISSN1097-0088
DOI10.1002/joc.70529
SubjectAtmospheric Sciences

Access Information

NARA Access Coverage1996-01-01~Current
Journal Homepagehttps://rmets.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/loi/10970088
Publisher PageOpen Publisher Page
Full-text access depends on NARA's subscribed coverage and institutional access.