RT Journal Article T1 How exceptional was the early August 2003 heatwave in France? A1 Trigo, Ricardo Machado A1 García Herrera, Ricardo Francisco A1 Díaz, Julio A1 Trigo, Isabel Franco A1 Valente, María Antonia AB The summer of 2003 was characterised by exceptionally warm weather in Europe with the average temperature exceeding that of any previous summer over the last 500 years. The seasonal 2003 summer temperature for central Europe was beyond the historical distribution range and could bear a closer resemblance with climate change scenarios for late XXI century. Nevertheless, it was the heatwave that occurred between the 1st and the 15th of August 2003 that had a major impact in excessive mortality rates throughout Europe, with catastrophic amplitude in France. Here we show, on a daily basis, when and where the magnitude and spatial extent of this heatwave episode has surpassed previous historical maxima, and that this episode is associated with an equally maximum blocking pattern over western Europe. Finally we show that surface and low troposphere air temperature anomalies are particularly well associated with the increased mortality rates in France. PB American Geophysical Union SN 0094-8276 YR 2005 FD 2005-05-18 LK https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/51675 UL https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/51675 LA eng NO Copyright 2005 by the American Geophysical Union.We would like to thank J. Luterbacher and two anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments and suggestions. The authors are in debt with C. Gouveia for her technical support. DS Docta Complutense RD 11 abr 2025