Across Europe, the weather is much milder than usual, and this is not expected to change significantly in the coming weeks, according to a report on InfoRádió. Erik Kovács, a researcher at the MCC Climate Policy Institute, noted that true winter will only arrive in January.
The expert explained that if fog did not settle over the Carpathian Basin, temperatures could reach as high as 15°C, while snow is currently only forming in the higher mountains. The influx of warm air is expected to continue in the coming days.
The unusual weather is due to the weakening of the polar vortex. Currently, the vortex is located over North America, drawing cold air there. The interaction of cold air with above-average sea temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean creates strong cyclones that affect Iceland and western Europe, Kovács explained.
Warm air is also arriving over the continent from the ocean and North Africa, while in Hungary, persistent fog is the only factor preventing temperatures from rising even higher.
According to the expert, the warm spell will not last long: after December 20, a gradual cooling is expected in Central Europe. January may be consistently colder than average, but climate models suggest that true winter will only last about a month.
Ski enthusiasts won’t be happy yet
In northwest and western Europe, a long-extending front system is in place, and on the front’s leading edge, warmer air is being drawn in from the south, HungaroMet reported. As a result, much of the continent is experiencing much milder conditions than usual. In France and Spain, temperatures are reaching 19–20°C, and extreme temperatures can be found not far away. In the Alps, even around 2,000 meters, maximum temperatures can exceed 10°C. Many people may be longing for skiing around mid-December, but the current conditions are not favorable for maintaining the snow cover there.
(Debreceni Nap)
