[Mesogeiakos]

Any idea which might be the highest ever OFFICIALLY recorded temperature in geographical Europe?
I keep on getting mixed responses from various forums and sources and have not concluded on what is the highest ever recorded temperature in Europe OFFICIALLY!!
Potential candidate cities I think are Seville,Athens,Catania...All cite extreme values.
What are your sources on this?

[Dave K]

Officially is is Italy that holds the record, with 48.5 °C at Catenanuova, Sicily on 10th August 1999.

There are a number of disputed readings in Spain of 49 or even 50 °C which were most likely not taken with proper exposure conditions, so the Catenanuova appears to be the undisputed European high.

[Mesogeiakos]

Quote

Big Dave's Gusset - 22/3/2010 09:43

Officially is is Italy that holds the record, with 48.5 °C at Catenanuova, Sicily on 10th August 1999.

There are a number of disputed readings in Spain of 49 or even 50 °C which were most likely not taken with proper exposure conditions, so the Catenanuova appears to be the undisputed European high.

Are you sure that this is official though?I mean some sources cite this as official and some others not so I am a bit confused


The official high for Italy I have is :
Italy 47.0 °C (116.6 °F) Perdasdefogu, Sardinia 1983-07-28[28]

http://en.wikipedia....weather_records


According to the World Weather Organisation the official European record is held by the Greek capital with 48.0

http://wmo.asu.edu/e...est-temperature

[Ian Williams]

Athens 48.0C is one thats commonly used as is Seville, Dave whats the link please?

http://wmo.asu.edu/e...est-temperature

http://en.wikipedia....tremes_on_Earth

The link below shows the hottest temps in each country

http://en.wikipedia....e_ever_recorded

The NOAA site in the US gives Seville the highest with 122F [50.0c]

So does this site

http://members.iinet...ob/worldtp.html

Our own Met office also gives Seville 50.0c being the hottest
Europe
Highest recorded temperature: 50.0 °C at Seville, Spain on 4 August 1881
Lowest recorded temperature: –55.0 °C at Ust’Shchugor, Russia (no date available)

http://www.metoffice...factsheet09.pdf

[Ian Williams]

Europe	48.0 °C (118.4 °F)	Athens, Greece	1977-07-10[13]
Austria	39.7 °C (103.5 °F)	Dellach im Drautal	1983-07-27[14]
Belarus	38.0 °C(100.4 °F)	Vassilyevichy, Homiel Voblast	1946-08-20[15]
Belgium	38.8 °C (102 °F)	Uccle	1947-06-27
Bulgaria	45.2 °C (113.3 °F)	Sadovo, Plovdiv Province	1916-08-05[16]
Croatia	42.8 °C (109 °F)	Ploce	1998-08-05[17]
Czech Republic	40.2 °C (104.4 °F)	Prague-Uhríneves	1983-07-27[18]
Denmark	36.4 °C (97.5 °F)	Holstebro, Midtjylland	1975-08-10[19]
Estonia	35.6 °C (96.1 °F)	Võru	1992-08-11[20]
Finland	35.9 °C (96.6 °F)	Turku	1914-07-09 [21]
France	43.4 °C (110.1 °F)	Sartène	2009-07-23[22]
Germany	40.2 °C (104.4 °F)	Gärmersdorf bei Amberg / Karlsruhe & Freiburg	1983-07-27 / 2003-08-13 [23]
Hungary	41.9 °C (107.4 °F)	Kiskunhalas	2007-07-08[24]
Iceland	30.5 °C (86.9 °F)	Teigarhorn, Djúpivogur	1939-06-22[25][26]
Ireland	33.3 °C (91.9 °F)	Kilkenny Castle, County Kilkenny	1887-06-26[27]
Italy	47.0 °C (116.6 °F)	Perdasdefogu, Sardinia	1983-07-28[28]
Lithuania	37.5 °C (99.5 °F)	Zarasai, Utena County	1994-07-30[29]
Macedonia	46.7 ° C(112.6 °F)	Demir Kapija, Demir Kapija Municipality	2000-07-05[30]
Moldova	41.5 ° C(106.7 °F)	Camenca, Camenca sub-district	2007-07-21[31]
Netherlands	38.6 °C (102 °F)	Warnsveld	1944-08-23[32]
Norway	35.6 °C (96.1 °F)	Nesbyen, Buskerud	1970-06-20[33]
Poland	40.2 °C (104.4 °F)	Prószków	1921-07-29[34]
Portugal	47.4 °C (117.3 °F)	Amareleja, Beja	2003-08-01[35]
Romania	44.5 °C (112.1 °F)	Ion Sion, Braila County	1951-08-10[36]
Serbia	44.9 °C (112.8 °F)	Smederevska Palanka, Podunavlje District	2007-07-24[37]
Slovakia	40.3 °C (104.5 °F)	Hurbanovo	2007-07-20[38]
Slovenia	40.6 °C (105.1 °F)	Crnomelj	1950-07-05[39]
Spain	47.2 °C (116.9 °F)	Murcia	1994-07-04[40]
Sweden	38.0 °C (100.4 °F)	Ultuna, Uppsala County / Målilla, Kalmar County	1933-07-09 / 1947-06-29[41]
Switzerland	41.5 °C (106.7 °F)	Grono, Locarno	2003-08-11[42]
United Kingdom	38.5 °C (101.3 °F)	Faversham, Kent	2003-08-10[43]

[Mesogeiakos]

I think the Seville one cannot be true.
First it was recorded back in 1881 and probably not with proper instruments.I am certain that Spain does not consider the 50C official!

[Ian Williams]

This is true, so we are left then with Athens 48.0c 10th July 1977 or Catenanuova, Sicily on 10th August 1999 with 48.5C

Big Dave, Do you have a link please for the Sicily temperature?

[Mesogeiakos]

The question we need to be asking is: does Italy consider the Catanenuova record official?

Because I know that Greece regards as official the Athens record since it was simultaneuously recorded in two suburbs of the Greek capital.In fact the initial reading was 48.7 and was rounded down by the Greek authorities to 48.
The Attica Basin in Greece is famous for the extreme temperatures it gets.In fact Eleusina (one of the two suburbs that recorded this temperature has been consistently giving the highest readings of Greece) due to the susceptibility to fohn winds...

So what I cannot find is if the Catanenuova record is regarded as official within Italy..Since I take it that the World Meteorological Organisation takes the records from the official authorities of each country.

[Dave K]

OK hang on I was researching ! ;)

I found a qualification that states that although it is widely quoted as not disputed (at wiki sites from original Italian source which is no longer online) , it is in fact not officially recognised by the WMO:

"Un altro importante valore, riguardante però una piccola cittadina siciliana, sono i +48,5 °C registrati a Catenanuova il 10 agosto 1999 dalla locale stazione meteorologica idrologica non ufficialmente riconosciuta dall'organizzazione meteorologica mondiale."

The 50 °C at Seville was NOT a standard exposure. We went through this some time in the past here on UKWW, the instruments were at the top of a belltower or suchlike!

Also note comments (hablan castellano tambien?)

De haber hecho controles asi, tal vez ahora Espana no tendria la "humillacion" de estar detras al 48.5C de Catenanuova (Italia) y a los 48.0C de Elefsina y Tatoi (Grecia).
O por lo menos tener un 48C legitimo y oficial.

50C en Yeste es falso, pero quizas 48.8C o 48.6C cerca de Murcia pudieran ser reales ...?

Que se puede hacer 29 anyos despues ? Habra todavia esas estaciones alla en los mismos sitios o ya a esas alturas lo que fue...fue...y ya no se puede hacer nada ?

[Ian Williams]

Sorry Dave for my impatience, I have been researching too, and yes the Seville figure has been disregarded by The Spanish meto too, as it were recorded like you say on top of a Cathedral, been looking at one site wiki where theres arguments galore lol, heres an extract

"The temperature of 50.0C at Seville is complete crap. Already 70 years ago everybody in Spain know about that instrument was on the top of the Seville cathedral and that recorded has been discountinued since 1934 and the instrument changed. I cannot understand how people can still believe to this joke, everybody laugh at this joke. Just check the official temperatures of Spain, even a 2 years old baby knows spanish recorded is 47.8c at Murcia. 48.5C is the real european record which was at catenanuova ,province of Enna, region of Sicily, during the famous terrible heat wave of August 1999."

http://en.wikipedia....weather_records

http://en.wikipedia....r:Maxcrc/Europe

And Philip Eden wrote on this forum that catenanuova 48.5C figure so i am happy that this is the highest record for Europe

Philip Eden

Posts: n/a
Re: European Hottest Day?
"Philip Eden" wrote:
> To answer the OP's question, and with the proviso that
> I haven't researched it, it seems that the prime candidate
> for the European record holder is Catenanuova, on Sicily,
> (about 30km SW of Etna!) recorded on 10th August 1999.
> It was certainly a very hot day on Sicily with 42°C at both
> Catania and Palermo.
>
I omitted to add that Catenanuova's max temp on that
day was 48.5°C.
>
> Philip

http://www.magsite.c...ottest-day.html

[Dave K]

This site nominates the Athens 48.0 °C

http://wmo.asu.edu/europe-highest-temperature

And an alternative to the lowest temperature in Europe (this is also from Arizona State University from a USSR source)

-58.1 °C at Ust’-Shchugor  ( 31 /12 / 78 )

http://wmo.asu.edu/europe-lowest-temperature

[Ian Williams]

I never get that? Is Russia in Europe? :s

[Mesogeiakos]

Quote

Chris Lloyd - 22/3/2010 11:28

And a thank you wouldn't go amiss Pit, even if you don't agree with what people are suggesting to you [hehe]

Oh I can be so absorbed sometimes that I forget to thank you.
Dont mind me please:)
Thank u indeed.

I came across the Italian record in the past...and for the life of me I CANNOT understand if it is official within Italy.I dont speak Italian and cannot do the research my self.

Big Dave,the Italian extract you have mentions what exactly...I dont get it.I dont mean to appear stupid or anything:)

[Dave K]

Since that Arizona State Uni page seems to source from the WMO, it looks reliable. Some very interesting info on precipitation and tornadoes etc too.

http://wmo.asu.edu/#continental

[Dave K]

Quote

Mesogeiakos - 22/3/2010 11:42

Quote

Chris Lloyd - 22/3/2010 11:28 And a thank you wouldn't go amiss Pit, even if you don't agree with what people are suggesting to you [hehe]

Oh I can be so absorbed sometimes that I forget to thank you. Dont mind me please:) Thank u indeed. I came across the Italian record in the past...and for the life of me I CANNOT understand if it is official within Italy.I dont speak Italian and cannot do the research my self. Big Dave,the Italian extract you have mentions what exactly...I dont get it.I dont mean to appear stupid or anything:)

OK, no worries, you seem to be linguistically gifted with your excellent English so I didn't translate:

"Un altro importante valore, riguardante però una piccola cittadina siciliana, sono i +48,5 °C registrati a Catenanuova il 10 agosto 1999 dalla locale stazione meteorologica idrologica non ufficialmente riconosciuta dall'organizzazione meteorologica mondiale."

Another important value to be re-examined however, from a small Sicilian town, is 48.5 °C recorded at  Catenanuova  on 10 August 1999 from a local meterological/hydrological station, not officially recognised by the World Meteorological Society.

Indeed the Italian Met site is not very helpful or easy to navigate so I can't find their official position.

[Mesogeiakos]

Ok guys I think I got it now thanks to storm's post

If you notice the - Osservatorio delle Acque in Italy that gives the 48.5 in Catanenuova is NOT the state organisation that has the official capacity in Italy to establish the records at a National level.It seems that the Italian Meteorology Organisation (or however this is translated from Italian) has the official capacity to cite records within Italy

This is exactly the case with Greece as well,since ONLY the EMY(national meteorological organisation in Greece) has the right within Greece to officially cite records.

And this probably solves why Athens record is regarded internationally as the official one.Am I right?Please help:)

[Mesogeiakos]

Big Dave thanks for the comments regarding my english skills!!

The fact that I have been living and working in London the past 7 years helps!!Heheheh

Also Dave the Spanish extract what does it say regarding Catanenuova and Athens??I only got the word humiliation!!

[Ian Williams]

Looks like Athens it is then, found this comment

Some people are not aware that the Attica Basin in Greece is by far the warmest place in Europe.The correct european record THAT HAS BEEN OFFICIALLY AND UNIVERSALLY ACKNOWLEDGED is 48.0 in Athens.The record is peered reviewed and adopted UNIVERSALLY and OFFICIALLY by all the serious sources...simply because the record is undisputed and recorded simultaneously in two suburbs of the Greek capital.In fact the reading was initially 48.7 and 2 years later it was rounded down to 48.0 by the National Observatory of Athens and the Greek meteorological Organisation.All the records are presented before the World Weather Organisation and after tremendous scrutiny the records are established.It takes international publications and peer reviewed data to establish a record!!!The Athenian record has passed all the credibility tests because it comes from TWO OFFICIALLY recording stations of the OFFICIAL Greek authorities!!Catenanuova record is NOT regarded in Italy as official!!Its simple 

[Dave K]

This is the direct link to the Catenanuova reading (which we can now regard I think as unofficial, being principally a hydrological station):

http://www.osservatorioacque.it/dati/ANNALI/A_1999/PI_80.HTML

The Spanish comment says (it's opinion lamenting the disputed status of so many Spanish extreme temperature readings so not officialese and a bit out of context). The background is that 47.8 °C in Murcia seems to be the most reliably authenticated extreme temperature in Spain.

De haber hecho controles asi, tal vez ahora Espana no tendria la "humillacion" de estar detras al 48.5C de Catenanuova (Italia) y a los 48.0C de Elefsina y Tatoi (Grecia).
O por lo menos tener un 48C legitimo y oficial.

50C en Yeste es falso, pero quizas 48.8C o 48.6C cerca de Murcia pudieran ser reales ...?

To have such controls like this, [meaning proper verifiable readings] anyway today we will not have the "humiliation" to be behind the 48.5C de Catenanuova (Italy) and the 48.0C of Elefsina and Tatoi (Greece). Or only at least to have a 48 °C legitimate and official.

50 °C in Yeste is false but perhaps 48.8 °C or 48.6 °C around Murcia could be real?


It's lucky I'm not working today!