Instead of the freezing winter, the weather in Europe is unusually warm, breaking thousands of temperature records across the continent.
People strolling around the capital city of Warsaw, Poland. This country is among those recording the highest temperatures ever in January. Photo: Anadolu Agency
From Spain, France to western Russia, temperatures across Europe have been 10 to 20°C higher than normal at the beginning of 2023, with thousands of temperature records being broken from December 31, 2022, to January 2, 2023.
According to data released by Maximiliano Herrera, a climatologist who specializes in tracking extreme temperatures, at least 8 European countries – including Poland, Denmark, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Belarus, Lithuania, and Latvia – have recorded unprecedented warm temperatures in January.
In Korbielów, Poland, temperatures reached 19°C – a level typically seen in May, exceeding the average January temperature of 1°C by 18°C.
In Javorník, Czech Republic, temperatures hit 19.6°C, significantly higher than the average of 3°C for this time of year.
In Warsaw, the capital of Poland, experiencing summer-like weather. (Photo: CNN)
Temperature reached a record 19.6°C in the town of Javornik, Czech Republic on January 1. (Photo: CNN)
Temperatures in Vysokaje (Belarus) typically hover around 0°C this time of year. However, on January 2, this area recorded a temperature of 16.4°C, breaking the previous January record of 4.5°C.
In many other places across Europe, thousands of local temperature monitoring stations also recorded new high temperatures from December 31, 2022, to January 2, 2023.
Northern Spain and southern France are experiencing summer-like warmth. In Bilbao, temperatures soared to 24.9°C, marking the hottest day in January on record. Temperature stations in Cantabria, Asturias, and the Basque region also reported record-high temperatures. Only Norway, the UK, Ireland, Italy, and the Southeast Mediterranean have not recorded record warm days in January.
Bilbao recorded a peak temperature of 24.9°C. (Photo: CNN)
“We can consider this the most extreme weather phenomenon in European history. During the extreme heatwave in July 2022, the UK experienced severe heat, and this intensity is spreading across a much larger area, affecting about 15 countries. It can be said that this is the first time Europe has recorded extreme weather in January, comparable to the severe weather phenomenon occurring in North America,” said Herrera.
The high temperatures have also resulted in less snow than usual in the Alps. Photo: AFP
Mr. Alex Burkill, a senior meteorologist at the UK Met Office, also noted that this is an extreme weather event. He stated: “Extreme high temperatures are spreading across a vast area. Honestly, this has never happened before.”
Mr. Burkill explained that a warm air mass developing off the west coast of Africa has been moving northeast across Europe from Portugal and Spain, drawn in by high pressure over the Mediterranean.
“This air mass has spread to Denmark, the Czech Republic, and almost all of Germany, resulting in those areas witnessing record temperatures in January. Another noteworthy point is that we recorded unusually warm weather in southern England. On New Year’s Eve, I think about 7 locations in England recorded the warmest weather in history,” he said.
On January 2, the Baden-Geroldsau region of Germany recorded an astonishing temperature of 19.2°C. In Hohenpeißenberg at an altitude of 977 meters above sea level, the temperature reached 18.2°C. In just three days, 982 monthly records were broken in Germany.
Austria has experienced relatively warm temperatures over the past week. Photo: AFP
These are also the hottest January days on record in Ukraine, where most temperature monitoring stations reported record-breaking temperatures. Lviv recorded a temperature of 14.9°C on January 2, Rivne and Kiev recorded temperatures of 13.2°C, Vinnytsa 13.1°C, Konotop 8.6°C, and Chernihiv 10.3°C.
Record temperatures are also engulfing Russia. The region of Makhachkala recorded a temperature of 19.2°C on January 2, and Derbent reached 18.6°C.
This unusual warmth seems to have provided relief to a continent grappling with a severe energy crisis. Forecasts indicate that much of Europe will continue to experience higher than normal temperatures in the next two weeks.
Meteorologist Scott Duncan believes temperatures across Europe are astonishingly high. “We welcomed the New Year in extremely warm weather last year. But this year, the weather is even warmer. We see that these high temperatures have broken records in several countries.”
Mr. Duncan suggests that it is difficult to determine the cause of this extreme weather phenomenon. La Niña – the phenomenon of cooler sea surface temperatures and unusual sea surface temperatures could be one of the causes.
“However, there is nothing new about the causes. So what has caused the temperatures to rise past the record? The warming atmosphere and our oceans are ultimately making records more vulnerable to being broken,” he said.
Professor Bill McGuire, who has written about the consequences of climate change, stated that high temperatures are a sign that bad things are on the horizon.
“The most concerning aspect is the pace of global warming; it is simply no longer surprising. This weather phenomenon is a sign that this region will experience shorter winters with warm, humid, and mild weather, less frost, ice, or snow in the future,” he said.
