Relating atmospheric persistence to heatwaves in Europe

Heatwaves cause widespread disruption to society and increased mortality across Europe. These events are often associated with persistent circulations, however, the maintenance mechanisms and characteristics of atmospheric persistence are comparatively poorly understood. We aim to help bridge the gap between qualitative meteorological arguments and mathematical theory relating to heatwaves by quantitatively identifying persistent atmospheric configurations. This will be achieved by calculating indicators associated with dynamical systems theory using ERA5 reanalysis data. We will then spatially compare these indicators with temperature anomalies to determine which regions of Europe are potentially sensitive to these quantities with regards to the occurrence of heatwaves, and if there are specific atmospheric configurations associated to these cases.