First there is cooling and ventilation, then the worst thing: at the end of July, a new heat dome forms over Europe. Will the dog days of 2026 be hotter than record June?
Johannes Habermehl July 15, 2026 – 9:27 am 5 minutes
Finally take a breath! After several weeks with Constant warmthdust and tropical nights, the wind changes. A small but effective burst of disturbance ruptures the high pressure zone over Europe, sending fresh summer air from Scandinavia all the way to the Alps. Strong collapses are already observed on Thursday and Friday Storm across the country, sometimes with hail and squalls – a typical final chord of the heat.
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The values then increase significantly over the weekend. from 24 to 28 degrees back, even up to 20 degrees near the shower. Even in the southwest, the hot pole of this summer, the weather is finally becoming bearable again. At night from 11 to 18 degrees: open the windows, ventilate, cool the apartment. This is exactly what you should use constantly now.
The next thermal dome forms at the end of July.
Because this respite has an expiration date. Models are expecting a new, huge one at the end of the month. thermal reservoir over North Africa, Spain and the entire Mediterranean region. The Azores High moves forward, strengthening in combination with the Iceland Low, creating a powerful high pressure area and lifting the underlying flow. Southwest.
Western and Central Europe could face a new heat wave at the end of July.
This means that heat is pumped through a funnel to Central Europe. By July 28, temperatures may rise again. from 28 to 35 degrees climb, locally them up 39 Grad in the game. The likelihood of a fourth heat wave as early as August is high and the drought will continue to worsen.
Will Dog Days be hotter than June?
And this is where it gets interesting: we run straight into it. Roof for the dog during the period from July 23 to August 23. Statistically, this is the hottest phase of the year. It is no coincidence: most of Germany’s record values date from this period; The all-time record until this year was set on July 25, 2019 at 41.2 degrees.
Whether June 27 will be even hotter (41.8 degrees) depends solely on weather conditions. But: nothing is ruled out. Mediterranean In some places the temperature is up to 7 Kelvin, and the soil is dry. Both are turbochargers for each heat bell.
“The days are getting shorter” is a big mistake in thinking.
Many readers write to me: “At the end of July the days become shorter and it can no longer be so hot. Sounds logical – but not true. By the end of July, the day loses only about an hour of sunlight compared to the solstice, and the sun’s position becomes only slightly flatter.
This is what is critical Thermal inertia: The land, air masses and seas warm up over a period of weeks and release that energy again with a time lag. This is why the maximum temperature lags the solar maximum by about four to six weeks. Dry soils enhance the effect even more, since almost no energy is wasted on evaporation.
What really matters now
However, forecasts for the end of July should not be unambiguous. Test runs show an average temperature increase of 2.6 to 3.1 degrees by July 28—too warm, yes, but extremes above 40 degrees represent only the hottest individual solutions so far.
One thing is certain: the summer of 2026 will be with a deviation of about +2.6 Deg clearly on the way to breaking records. And in the west and south there are already up to 33 hot days and twelve Desert Days book. Anyone who thinks the worst is over may be mistaken.
Conclusion: short recovery, then full throttle.
The coming days are a gift – use them. Ventilate, replenish supplies, check air conditioning and fans, water the garden. Starting in the last ten days of July, mid-summer will likely pick up speed again, and then next August could start right away. Thermal hammer.
No one today can honestly say whether there will be enough time to set a new all-time record – it’s just too far in the future. But the ingredients are there: hot Mediterranean, dry soil and southwestern exposure, which brings us exactly this air. Dog tag 2026 have what it takes to be an exclamation point.