Why doesn't super heat melt Europe? Physics under these atmospheric blocksHere are the complex atmospheric processes behind the persistence of blocking high-pressure systems across Europe. This heat fuels vast thunderstorm systems, known as tropical convection, which inject enormous quantities of sensible and latent heat into the atmosphere. As Rossby waves travel across the Atlantic, they interact with the structure of the polar jet stream between North America and Europe. Every time a familiar blocking pattern returns, the starting point is a much warmer climate than before.