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August 10, 2025 - Clear Skies over Europe
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On August 8, 2025, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA’s Terra satellite acquired a true-color image of a clear-sky summer day over much of Europe. The image stretches more than 1,000 km (620 miles) from eastern France (in the west) to western Serbia (in the east).
The image captures the long arc of the Alps, Europe’s highest and most extensive mountain range, as well as the adjacent Po Valley of Italy. The long Iberian Peninsula of Italy separates the Adriatic Sea (east) from the Tyrrhenian Sea. A bit of “sunglint”—an optical phenomenon where light reflects directly back to the satellite sensor, creating glare—streaks the Adriatic Sea. The large islands visible are Corsica (north) and Sardinia (south).
The clear skies are the harbinger of a “heat dome”, according to several weather forecasting services. Heat domes occur when a large, persistent area of high pressure traps heat close to the ground in areas under the high pressure. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) advises that sometimes the heatwaves caused by a heat dome can last for days to weeks as sinking air traps the heat like a lid on a pot.
On August 9, Eumetnet Meteoalarm listed most of Italy under a Code Yellow, or “Moderate” heat advisory, while Serbia, Kosovo, Croatia, northern Italy, and parts of Hungary and France were under a Code Orange, or “Severe” advisory. In Rome, temperatures of 100°F (38°C) are expected for several days this week.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 8/8/2025
Resolutions:
1km (334.7 KB), 500m (1.1 MB), 250m (4.3 MB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
On August 8, 2025, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA’s Terra satellite acquired a true-color image of a clear-sky summer day over much of Europe. The image stretches more than 1,000 km (620 miles) from eastern France (in the west) to western Serbia (in the east).
The image captures the long arc of the Alps, Europe’s highest and most extensive mountain range, as well as the adjacent Po Valley of Italy. The long Iberian Peninsula of Italy separates the Adriatic Sea (east) from the Tyrrhenian Sea. A bit of “sunglint”—an optical phenomenon where light reflects directly back to the satellite sensor, creating glare—streaks the Adriatic Sea. The large islands visible are Corsica (north) and Sardinia (south).
The clear skies are the harbinger of a “heat dome”, according to several weather forecasting services. Heat domes occur when a large, persistent area of high pressure traps heat close to the ground in areas under the high pressure. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) advises that sometimes the heatwaves caused by a heat dome can last for days to weeks as sinking air traps the heat like a lid on a pot.
On August 9, Eumetnet Meteoalarm listed most of Italy under a Code Yellow, or “Moderate” heat advisory, while Serbia, Kosovo, Croatia, northern Italy, and parts of Hungary and France were under a Code Orange, or “Severe” advisory. In Rome, temperatures of 100°F (38°C) are expected for several days this week.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 8/8/2025
Resolutions:
1km (334.7 KB), 500m (1.1 MB), 250m (4.3 MB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
