IPB University Lecturer Explains the Causes of Europe’s Extreme Heatwave and Its Potential Implications for Indonesia

The extreme heatwave that has swept across several European countries in recent weeks has drawn global attention. Record breaking temperatures across the region have raised questions about the causes of the phenomenon and its connection to global climate change.

Sonni Setiawan SSi MSi, a lecturer from the Department of Geophysics and Meteorology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (FMIPA), IPB University, explained that Europe’s heatwave is not caused by a single factor.

“This phenomenon results from the interaction between extensive land heating during summer and the propagation of Rossby waves in the mid latitude atmosphere, where Europe is located,” he explained.

According to him, Rossby waves are large scale atmospheric disturbances that influence air pressure, wind patterns, and temperatures across the mid latitudes. These waves typically span 4.000 to 6.000 kilometers and are generated when prevailing westerly winds pass over major mountain ranges, such as the Rocky Mountains in North America and the Andes in South America.

“During summer in the Northern Hemisphere, the position of the sun causes land surfaces to experience maximum heating. Because land has a lower heat storage capacity than the ocean, air temperatures above it rise more rapidly. This continental scale heating amplifies the temperature disturbances carried by Rossby waves, eventually triggering heatwaves,” he said.

He added that the situation is further intensified by the slower movement of Rossby waves during summer. As the waves travel more slowly, hot air masses remain over the same region for longer periods. This condition is reinforced by the Omega Block phenomenon, a high pressure atmospheric pattern that traps hot air, allowing extreme temperatures to persist for several days or even longer.

“During summer, Rossby waves move more slowly, allowing high temperature air masses to linger over the same area. Combined with the Omega Block phenomenon, hot air becomes trapped, causing heatwaves to last longer,” he added.

Responding to the assumption that the increasing frequency of heatwaves is direct evidence of climate change, he emphasized that such conclusions should be based on scientific analysis while considering natural atmospheric dynamics.

“Natural atmospheric dynamics must remain an essential part of the analysis before concluding that climate change is responsible for a particular extreme heat event,” he said.

What About Indonesia?
Although the phenomenon occurs in Europe, it is linked to the global climate system through teleconnections, which refer to interactions between distant regions driven by large scale atmospheric circulation.

“There is a connection, although not a direct one, for example through teleconnections between the Madden–Julian Oscillation (MJO) and atmospheric circulation in extratropical regions,” he explained.

Furthermore, he noted that Indonesia may also experience more frequent extreme heat events in the future. However, their characteristics differ from the heatwaves observed in Europe. In Indonesia, extreme heat is more strongly influenced by land-use change and the urban heat island effect, which is common in major cities.

“Indonesia is likely to experience an increase in extreme temperatures, but not in the same way as Europe. The dominant factors are land use change and urban development, making large cities the most vulnerable,” he said.

As an adaptation strategy, he encouraged both the government and the public to strengthen greening initiatives through reforestation, tree planting, and stricter land use management. According to him, these measures are essential to reduce rising surface temperatures while enhancing environmental resilience against the impacts of climate change.

“Although Indonesia does not experience heatwaves like those in Europe, adaptation measures remain necessary through reforestation, tree planting, and proper land use management to minimize the impacts of rising temperatures,” he concluded. (AS) (IAAS/CAA)