First Taste of Autumn For Many Across Europe!!! (Source: Tropicaltidbits.com)

GFS 2-meter Temperature Anomaly (C) showing the Temperature departures from average with the Rex Block in place. (Red colors indicate warmer than average, Blue colors represent cooler than average.) (Courtesy of Tropical Tidbits)

DISCUSSION: A large ridge setting up over Scandinavia, and a cutoff low pressure system retrograding westward into the Balkan region will be responsible for ushering in much cooler air over Central Europe as we head into the middle of the week. This setup is known as a Rex Block, where a large ridge builds North of a cutoff low to the South. Underneath the ridge (or high pressure area), dry conditions prevail, but flooding can occur around the upper-level low. The wind rotates around the two pressure areas in a backward ‘S’ shape, where the wind field is basically from North to South. A setup like this allows cooler air from the North to pour down southward. In a Rex Block, like any other block in the atmosphere such as an Omega Block, the weather stalls and other weather systems are forced to go around the block. There is typically very little eastward progression in this type of setup, in fact occasionally the pressure systems can retrograde westward before upper-level winds grab the systems and get the atmosphere moving again. Rex Blocks general occur across the Western United States and Western Europe, this time around it appears as though the blocking will setup more across Central Europe as we head into mid-week.
 
With a Rex Block forming over Central Europe during this week, much cooler air will filter down across the Balkan Region leading to temperatures 10-12°C below average. This will provide some much needed to relief to many who have been suffering from sweltering heat conditions for the majority of the summer. Unfortunately for those across Spain and Portugal will not get a reprieve from the heat this time around. So for those of you across Central Europe, enjoy the beautiful autumn air headed your way this week and even into early next week. The Rex Block appears to hang around for quite some time as of now, according to the global weather models. Keep it tuned here for the latest breaking weather news across Europe!
 
To learn more about other high-impact weather events from across Europe, be sure to click here!

An Idealized Representation of A Rex Block