The European continent will experience the beginning of spring with above-average temperatures in several countries, with indications of temperatures exceeding seasonal norms in many regions.
Climate models suggest that March will bring temperatures above historical standards across much of the continent, with some countries possibly ending the month with temperatures significantly higher than the historical average for this time of year.
March could be a very warm month for seasonal standards in much of Central Europe, but especially in Northern Europe, in Scandinavian countries such as Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland.
Several periods of temperatures exceeding historical climatology are expected throughout March, with thermometer readings approaching summer levels in some countries.
As a result, this March is expected to be one of the warmest ever recorded in Europe, a forecast that should be confirmed by data to be released by Copernicus at the beginning of April.
The following maps indicate the temperature anomaly trend (deviation from the average) week by week for March, based on data from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) climate model.
Europe has been experiencing a long sequence of months with temperatures above historical standards, in a pattern strongly influenced by climate change.
The Copernicus Global Climate Highlights Report 2024, published earlier this year, confirms that 2024 is the warmest year on record and the first to exceed 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels for the annual global average temperature. Last year was also the warmest on record for all continental regions, including Europe, except Antarctica and Australasia.
