+40/+41°C in Ukraine predicted on Sunday, only 1°C from National Record! +39.4°C in Kherson, +39.2°C in Luhansk, +39°C in Moldova, +37.0C at Ivano Frankivs’K, which is 0.1°C from its Monthly Record (July 2007) and 0.2°C from Its All-time Record (August 1952), so far
Marek Kučera 
Eastern Europe is facing a dangerous escalation of an already intense heatwave, with Ukraine expected to reach +40°C to +41°C on Sunday — a level just 1°C shy of the country’s all-time national record of +42°C (recorded in 2010). This would mark one of the hottest days ever recorded in Ukrainian history, capping off a week of blistering heat across the region.
So far, the thermometer has already reached +39.4°C in Kherson, +39.2°C in Luhansk, and +39.0°C in Moldova, placing parts of southern Ukraine and neighboring countries under extreme heat stress. The synoptic pattern responsible — a blocking ridge of high pressure over the Black Sea region — is trapping hot, dry Saharan air over Eastern Europe, causing temperatures to spike well above average and limiting overnight relief.
Perhaps most remarkable was the heat in Ivano-Frankivsk, a city near the Carpathian foothills in western Ukraine, where the temperature hit +37.0°C. That’s just 0.1°C below its July record (set in 2007) and 0.2°C below its all-time record— an extraordinary feat in a location not typically associated with such extremes.
Forecast models now consistently show Sunday, July 13, as the peak of the heatwave, with widespread +40°C or higher expected in parts of central and southern Ukraine. If verified, this would not only mark the highest temperature of the year, but potentially threaten station and monthly records, and bring the country within striking distance of its absolute heat record.
Authorities are urging citizens to take serious precautions: limit outdoor activity, stay hydrated, and ensure vulnerable individuals — including the elderly and those with chronic illness — remain cool and safe. Energy demand is soaring as millions turn to air conditioning, and fire danger levels remain elevated in agricultural and steppe regions.
Meanwhile, Moldova, already experiencing +39°C, is also forecast to see continued extreme heat, with inland regions approaching national thresholds in the coming days.
This wave adds to an increasingly alarming trend in 2025: frequent, intense, and prolonged heat events across Europe and the broader Northern Hemisphere. Scientists point to the growing influence of climate change, which is shifting baseline temperatures higher and amplifying regional extremes, particularly under stalled high-pressure systems like the one currently gripping Eastern Europe.
With more extreme heat expected and no immediate sign of relief, the coming days will be closely watched — not only for human impact, but for potential record-breaking weather history in the making.
Illustration picture: https://visitukraine.today/blog/3773/where-can-you-spend-a-weekend-and-relax-in-nature-except-carpathians-this-spring?srsltid=AfmBOopnVIXkV3x6X4SWr1dhId4wqkScEs1IY8GNF_G5ZDCIE-BcCYTE
