Cold Atlantic blob may fuel Europe’s heatwave, scientists say
A patch of unusually cold water in the subpolar North Atlantic, nicknamed the cold blob, has been linked to Europe’s heatwaves by influencing atmospheric circulation and the jet stream. While global temperatures rise, this region remains cooler due to ocean currents delivering less heat and Greenland meltwater adding freshwater, which may weaken the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). Scientists warn that a further slowdown or collapse of the AMOC could bring harsher European winters, droughts elsewhere, and higher sea levels, though a cold Atlantic patch does not erase warming and extreme heat can persist under certain jet-stream patterns.