Temperatures as Much as 25 Degrees Above Average in Europe Last Month

Posted: November 5, 2022 10:31 pm

The sweltering heat of summer stuck around for months longer in Europe, delivering record-breaking October temperatures for much of the region. The mercury soared to 25 degrees above normal in some parts of the continent. Here is a look back at the October that felt more like summer.

Record October Heat Comes on Heels of Sweltering Summer

The unseasonably warm October could not have come at a worse time for Europeans. The region is still recovering from the ongoing drought conditions and deadly wildfires that distinguished the weather pattern of the summer of 2022. While Europeans were desperate for a nice fall, areas stretching from Sweden and Norway to as far south as North Africa instead have had to deal with more summer-like conditions heading into November.

It was the hottest October in a century in Spain. While the normal temperature for the end of October in Toledo, Spain is 65 degrees, the city hit the 90-degree mark over the last week of the month. Many cities in Catalonia and Aragon hovered in the mid-80s to close out October, a far departure from what is considered normal for this time of the year.

Some areas in the southern providence of Cadíz recorded nine days during the month that hit or exceeded 90 degrees. The region typically sees temperature readings in the upper 70s to start the month with the average mercury level tumbling to 70 degrees by October 31.

Spaniards are no stranger for summer-like warmth that sticks around through the early parts of fall. In fact, the culture even has a special word to describe this weather pattern. “Veroño” is used to describe the combination of verano (summer) and otoño (fall). However, this year’s veroño was certainly one for the record books as an area of high pressure set up across the continent and did not want to budge.

Spain was not the only European country that saw the warmest October on record. A number of records also fell in France, Austria, Germany, Poland, and Switzerland.

For instance, temperatures almost eclipsed the 80-degree mark in many weather stations in France on the closing days of the month. Slovenia and Croatia also saw readings that were well above normal over the last week of October.

It was not the October readings that were so unusual but that they held on through the end of the month. This is typically the time of the year when Europeans begin retreating indoors to get cozy around the fireplace and prepare for the holidays. Instead, residents were heading to the beach in many places.

Fall a Continuation of Brutal Summer

The October heat is simply a continuation of the weather pattern of the last few months. In addition to the parched conditions due to lower than average rainfall amounts, the region also was under the gun for extreme heat. According to data from the European Drought Observatory, at least 47% of the continent had been under the designation of the second of three drought categories by the middle of August.

The heat and drought conditions combined to deliver a difficult wildfire season. Most notably, the worst of the fires forced the evacuation of thousands across populated areas of Greece. Spain and France also had to deal with dangerous fire conditions throughout the summer.

Did you find this content useful? Feel free to bookmark or to post to your timeline for reference later.

Recent Posts