Winds are howling fiercely - you wouldn't believe !

It SOUNDS at times as if we would be in the middle of AUTUMN. Gusts shaking trees, while noises roam though the scene, where any obstacle in the winds way generates haunting sounds, as it the winds would like to push the house away. Like a train running through the realm with thundering noise.

The thing is, that it creates an interesting, confusing contrast:

Your EYES see a beautiful, fascinating clear, very deep blue sky ! but your EARS hear the noise of autumn, while a look at the ALMANACK is telling you; It is Mid-May !

Not a chance to make images with the Fuji GFX on a tripod together with the long Pentax 645 FA 150-300mm ƒ 5.6 IF ED zoom lens... Everything shakes. Especially the tree branches and leafs. Can't get any focus manually, because everything is in motion.

Springtime weather situations can be fascinating

It is often in later springtime, you can sometimes meet some really interesting phenomena over Europe. You can of course call it "extremes", but they are not that uncommon really. When you encounter temperatures under the influence of strong Föhn winds on ICELAND up to 26°C, while on the other side of the Baltic sea a futile 3°C under a cloudy sky in LITHUANIA.

Temperatures in Iceland, 15 May 2025 at 15.00

Cold, gusty air from the North

Stockholm is together with Finland, the Baltic states and Poland under the influence of cold air coming straight from the north. The temperatures over Poland are low, with only 6 to 10°C. Stockholm has 13-14°C, but as soon you go a little bit to the east (coast) it is just 6-7°C. That in combination with the even stronger winds, make it feel almost like freezing temperatures.

Norway again 20-24°C.

But in Southern Norway - once again, and almost ever day for 1.5 weeks, you encounter temperatures between 20-24°C. From which even Ireland, Scotland and parts of England benefit, supported by a stubborn high pressure area.

South Italy & Sicily

The coldest temperatures of Italy, you encounter over Sicily. There, it is between 15 and 20°C, due to a strong low pressure area, clashing with hot air from the desert, creating plenty of rain there. One station got 105 mm rain since midnight, while the Palermo area got up to 55 mm. Catania wasn't that much affected and has since midnight until 15.00 gotten 10-15mm, while the higher slopes of Etna (Nicolosi) got 35mm.

Northern Italy is much warmer with temperatures up to 26-29°C. As well Southern France, where the cooler air hasn't reached the realm yet. If you go up a bit over France, temperatures are lower. Like 15°c in Paris.

The inland of Spain, the higher regions in the Northwest, have afternoon temperatures below 10°C.

Local Föhn winds driving up temperatures in the North

Notice the the South Norwegian temperatures are likely (partially) the result from the effect of high mountains creating Föhn winds - which further drives up temperatures. The current airmass there also is a bit milder (and more under the influence of that high pressure area over the UK), creating favorable weather, as well dissolving clouds. And it has done so or over a week now. While we in Stockholm had rather cold weather most of the time, with chilly north winds dominating.

It is a quite common phenomena that you get higher temperatures in niche areas between mountains in Scandinavia, driving up temperatures at times quite high ; like 26-28°C or even slightly above 30°C during peak summer. At latitudes you normally would think of such temperatures to begin with.

While the surrounding can show much lower temperatures, especially outside of the mountain regions). Same goes for Iceland, especially on the East coast where Föhn often helps to drive up temperatures. Walk down to the "beach", and the temperature drops by 15°C lower. Or go to the West Coast of Iceland, where it is windy, cloudy, rainy with 10-15°C lower temperatures.

I find local weather really fascinating.

Föhn Winds over Sicily

Also Sicily has such stronger local phenomenas, due to its mountainous landscape, creating sometimes extreme temperatures (Sirocco), where you in a small region to the north, can get a temperature of 25-28°C in the middle of the night during WINTER. Sirocco is in essence also a Föhn wind. Only that over Sicily, you can get extreme temperatures, due to the generally warmer airmasses, especially when warm winds from the desert are moving northwards

Clashes of Cold & Warm / Upside down

latter springtime is the time, when you can encounter interesting weather situations, where the north gets warmer than the south. Or the highest temperature being measured in Southern Sweden sometimes. I remember when i once was in Lisbon during June 2007 - and the weather wasn't anything to write home about. Rain, winds, and temperatures between 18-21°C - while the highest temperatures in Europe where recorded over Southern Sweden with up to 33°C.

As I said; upside down. And that is what can happen during later springtime. The conditions are often more favorable. Later when summer arrives, the waters warm up - the highest temperatures remain over Southern or Middle Europe. Rarely in Northern Europe. Things start to align again, so to speak.

The main Photo above

I sometimes use mediocre Photoshop AI (and you can see that when zooming in). I do that, in order to erase the buildings (their roof tops) which stand in front of my balcony. It just looks plain ugly in a photo...

Their height is slightly lower than the general horizon with its trees and the distance Stockholm skyline. But it interferes often with the view - which is sad. 5+ years ago, there was NO building in front of my view at all. All trees, all green. It was like a hidden oasis. Well, that view is gone.

I still have a great outlook over the sky - so the sky itself isn't covered by the new buildings. But the light facade from the upper part of the building just looks ugly in a photo, when you focus is on sky and clouds.

See below the original: