Warm Winter Weather
Source: Pexels (Dario Fernandez Ruz)
European weather: Winter heat records smashed all over continent
Temperatures for January have reached an all-time high in a number of nations across Europe.
National records have fallen in eight countries - and regional records in another three.
Warsaw, Poland, saw 18.9C (66F) on Sunday while Bilbao, Spain, was 25.1C - more than 10C above average.
The mild European weather comes as North America faces more severe storms, days after a deadly winter cold snap left more than 60 dead.
Heavy snow and freezing rain have been forecast for parts of the northern Midwest while severe thunderstorms and tornadoes are expected in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana.
But on the European side of the Atlantic, the weather has been balmy for many places at the start of the year.
Temperatures in the Netherlands, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Latvia, Czech Republic, Poland, Denmark and Belarus broke national records.
Station records were broken in Germany, France and Ukraine.
The temperature recorded in Warsaw on 1 January was 4C higher than the previous record for the month, and Belarus' record high was 16.4C, some 4.5C above the previous record.
In Spain, New Year's Day temperatures in Bilbao were equivalent to the average in July, and parts of Catalonia including Barcelona are subject to restrictions on water use.
Records are broken all the time, but it is unusual for the difference to be more than a few 10ths of a degree.
In Switzerland, temperatures hit 20C, and the warm weather has affected ski resorts across the Alps which have seen a snow shortage.
It's not all warm in Europe, though - colder temperatures and snow are forecast in parts of Scandinavia and Moscow is expected to drop to -20C by the weekend.
Just days earlier, the UK, Ireland, France and Spain declared 2022 their hottest year on record.
In the UK, every month but December was hotter than average. December itself saw snow fall across large parts of the country, although conditions are milder and wetter now.
Heatwaves have become more frequent, more intense, and last longer because of human-induced climate change.
However, warm winter events such as these do not have the same human impact as summer heatwaves, which can result in large numbers of excess deaths.
The world has already warmed by about 1.1C since the industrial era began and temperatures will keep rising unless governments around the world make steep cuts to emissions.
Learn more vocabulary related to this story by listening to News Review. Source: BBC Learning English
Comments
I think I mush study more English because I don´t understand well this news. The title of the article is “Warm Winter” that is dated 3 of January by BBC News. The first lane said: “Temperatures for January have reached…”, that makes reference to 3 days of January or they already know what was going to happen during January. After, says that “national records have fallen in eight countries…” (reach is not the same than fall), and in Bilbao reached 25,1C more than 10 C above average. I suppose that records have fallen, but up or down. It´s crazy. This isn´t the end because, the Russian mountain goes on because forecast in North America is heavy snow and freezing rain but in Europe is going to be balmy. It doesn´t finish yet, so in Warsaw the temperature was 4C higher that previous record on 1 January, but forecast is expected colder temperatures and snow in Scandinavia and Moscow. Perhaps it´s my fault.
The journalist said that in Barcelona are subject to restrictions on water use but, in my opinion, the temperature is different thing than the weather, because it can have lack of water in cold places.
One or two years ago, more or less, I told you that the media of UK always spokes about Barcelona or Bilbao, when they make reference to Spain, as if in Spain were only two towns, that is, they never spoke about other towns such as Soria, Cáceres or AlmerÃa. This article is evidence because it said the same. I don´t understand it.
See you.
I think this article is another example of scaremongering and using partial data to . For as long as I can remember, there have been warm days in winter. I wonder if the average temperature for the whole of January (not just 3 days) was much different to others. This March in Scotland, we have recorded unusually cold temperatures which has had many asking what has happened to global warming.
As for the UK media only ever reporting stories from Barcelona while ignoring the rest of Spain - Firstly, I don't think it's true and secondly, Spanish journalists based in the UK rarely get out of London (and just rely on outdated stereotypes).
I think I must study more English because I don´t understand this news very well. The title of the post is “Warm Winter” (that's the title I gave it), is dated 3rd of January and from the BBC. The first line said: “Temperatures for January have reached…”, that makes reference to 3 days of January or perhaps they already knew what was going to happen during January. It then says that “national records have fallen in eight countries…” (reach is not the same as fall), and in Bilbao it reached 25.1ºC more than 10 C above average. I suppose that records have fallen, but up or down (fall can only down). It´s crazy. That's not all because, the roller coaster goes on to forecast heavy snow and freezing rain in North America while in Europe it is going to be balmy. It doesn't finish there, in Warsaw the temperature was 4ºC higher that previous record on 1st January, but colder temperatures are expected as well as snow in Scandinavia and Moscow. Perhaps it´s my fault. /Why would it be your fault?)
The journalist said that Barcelona is subject to restrictions on water use but, in my opinion, the temperature is completely different from the weather, because you can have a lack of water in cold places.
One or two years ago, more or less, I told you that the media of the UK always speaks about Barcelona or Bilbao, when they make reference to Spain, as if in Spain there were only two towns, that is, they never speak about other towns such as Soria, Cáceres or AlmerÃa. This article is further proof of that. I don´t get it.