Euronews.green reports that temperatures in December, January and February were 0.78 degrees Celsius warmer than the average around the world and February was the ninth month in a row to see record-breaking numbers in the thermometers. This past February was actually 0.81 degrees warmers than the average recorded between 1991 and 2020.

Carlo Buontempo, director of C3S, said that "back in July [2023], when we were discussing monthly temperatures, the news was that we were at about 1.5C for a month [above pre-industrial averages]. Now, February is about 1.77C above the pre-industrial averages."

The past three months are Europe's second-warmest for a winter, only surpassed by the winter of 2019/2020. But some European countries dealt with worse consequences, as meteorologists in Athens reported the temperatures in Greece were 1.8 degrees warmer in the last three months compared to 1960-2024 averages. Additionally, in the northern side of the country, the increase was even greater.

Poland's winter temperatures were between 3.5 and 7.5 degrees Celsius warmer than the average, while in Hungary, the increase was also around 7 degrees Celsius throughout the cold season.

"It has been a very warm winter, it has been a very warm autumn, a very warm summer, and has been the warmest year on record in 2023", Buontempo added.

Besides temperatures, Europe's regions dealt with damper or drier weather, which contributed to disruptions in the ecosystems. Thus, areas around the Iberian Peninsula, the UK, southern Scandinavia and western Russia were hit with more rainfall than usual, while the Balkans and the Mediterranean regions were among those where it was drier than normal.

"As a society, we possibly haven't yet taken full advantage of the information we have. I think it makes sense to take notice and use this as one of the inputs in strategic decision-making and policy-making", Buontempo explained.