Europe's unusually warm week breaks temperature records

Mild end to February saw Germany record sharpest temperature rise in a week, going from -23.8C to 18.1C

Europe experienced well above normal temperatures last week, with the cold conditions at the start of February all but a distant memory.

The mild and very dry conditions developed thanks to an extensive area of high pressure, combined with south to south-westerly winds from Morocco and Algeria. A number of all-time February temperature records were broken, most notably in Sweden where 16.8C was recorded in Kalmar on the 25th. On the same day, 22.1C was observed in Makow Podhalaski, surpassing Poland's record. Gottingen in Germany also recorded the country's sharpest temperature rise in one week, with -23.8C on the 14th, and 18.1C recorded one week later.