Europe is having one of the most textbook Omega blocks in memory. A heat dome flanked by two strong storms. A true atmospheric stalemate/ traffic jam, dumping Epic rains in Greece. These split flow jet streams & extreme blocks are becoming more common esp in Europe 1/ pic.twitter.com/H5ryHsC1Tn
— Jeff Berardelli (@WeatherProf) September 6, 2023
This is not an ideal time to visit the beautiful beaches of Spain and Greece and lounge in the sand in a bikini. The Guardian reports that twin storms are leaving those nations hot and wet, with record temperatures and precipitation as a consequence.
Meteorologists call this type of storm an "Omega block" because the weather system, which features two low pressure systems heaving up a high pressure system between them. The resulting shape resembles the Greek letter omega.