Czechia records one of its hottest nights in history, but cooler days ahead

Amid a weekend heatwave, Czechia recorded one of its hottest hights in history and temperature records toppled on Saturday night. Sunday will also be scorching, although a dip in temperatures is expected throughout the week as a cooler front makes its way across Czechia in the coming days.

Around half of all weather stations monitored by the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute (ČHMÚ) exceeded 20 degrees Celsius, making the night climate officially tropical in meteorological terms. Prague’s Clementimum weather station by Charles Bridge measured 24.9 degrees Celsius – beating by a large margin a previous 2012 record of 22.1 degrees. The Clementimum station has been recording temperatures since the 1700s, underlining just how hot the weather was overnight.

The highest temperature was felt in the town of Hejnice, Liberec, which saw the night-time temperature reach 25 degrees at its coolest point. 

The recent hot weather will culminate today with potentially severe storms in some areas. This afternoon, apart from western Bohemia, temperatures will rise above 30 degrees Celsius, reaching up to 35 degrees in southern Moravia. 

Get ready for a shift in temperatures and weather conditions, though. "On Sunday, a chilly front will cross Czechia and will bring very strong thunderstorms to part of the country in the afternoon, including supercells with the possibility of larger hail and heavy rainfall," noted the ČHMÚ. Thunderstorms are expected in Prague, Vysočina, and to the south of the country, around České Budějovice.

In the capital, temperatures will dip to about 23 degrees Celsius on Monday, dropping to around 18 to 20 degrees on Tuesday and Wednesday – this is a trend that will broadly take place across the country, with marginally higher temperatures to the east of the country.

Temperatures however will rise again from Thursday, reaching 23 degrees Celsius on Friday. Rain is expected on both Monday and Wednesday in the Czech capital, with a chance of drizzle on Tuesday.

Meteorologists also pointed out that a large amount of Saharan dust is currently forming over the Czech Republic again. This phenomenon occurs during storms over the Sahara, during which large amounts of sand lift into the air and make their way to European countries. This creates cloud cover that can reduce expected maximum temperatures.