Temperatures jump as winter 'heat wave' envelops parts of Europe

A woman exercises with a jump rope upside the Reichstag building on a sunny day in Berlin, Germany, Monday, Feb. 22, 2021. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

The latter half of February brought a winter "heat wave" to many parts of Europe that started the month in a deep freeze. In the waning days of the month, people across Europe were treated to a nice spring preview and a few high-temperature records were even rewritten.

The brutal winter conditions that took hold of Europe in early February are now just a memory after the weather pattern flipped across Europe in what are the final days of meteorological winter, a period that includes December, January and February. Meteorological spring begins on March 1.

The jet stream lifted north across the continent this week, allowing milder air to filter into northern Europe from northern Africa.

This northerly airflow also brought Saharan dust wafting into southern Europe, including the South of France where a coating could be seen collecting on cars. The dust also made for spectacular sights in the skies across parts of Germany this week.

However, it was the unseasonably high temperatures that grabbed the headlines.

The most impressive temperature rebounds occurred on Wednesday and Thursday as the heat wave reached its peak and temperatures more typical of the end of May were recorded.

CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP

In parts of Berlin, high temperatures reached 68 F (20 C) on Wednesday then 67 F (19 C) on Thursday. The city typically reaches a high of 39 F (4 C) by the end of February.

Paris, which is normally around 47 F (8 C) this time of year, also reached 68 F (20 C) on Wednesday. Just two weeks ago, workers broke out blowtorches to de-ice the Eiffel Tower after the temperature in Paris plunged to 21 degrees Fahrenheit (6 degrees below zero Celsius) and a coating of snow accumulated.

Over in Poland, Warsaw topped out at 65 F (18 C) on Thursday. The normal high temperature is 35 F (2 C).

London also climbed to 65 F (18 C) on Thursday, some 19 degrees above the average high temperature of 46 F (8 C) for the end of February.

The heat wave also took down some high temperature records.

This map of temperatures from the evening of Feb. 26 shows the dividing line between the Arctic cold in central Russia, which is shaded in purple and blue, and the more mild conditions in eastern Europe and far western Russia, which is shaded in green and yellow. (AccuWeather)

On Thursday, record high temperatures for the month of February were recorded in Kalmar, Sweden, which reached 63 F (17.0 C), and Makow Podhalanski, Poland, where the high soared to 72 F (22.1 C).

The winter heat wave also smashed a temperature turnaround record in Germany as warm air mass shoved a frigid air mass out of the way.

In Gottingen, Germany, the temperature bottomed out at 11 below zero F (24 below zero C) on Feb. 14, but by a week later, it had risen to 64 F (18 C) on Feb. 21. That 75-degree temperature swing broke the country's record for the largest rise in temperature over the span of a week, according to the BBC.

The temperature rebound reached as far as western Russia. In Moscow, the high temperature of 3 F (16 below zero C) on Tuesday was replaced with a high of 44 F (7 C) by Friday. The normal high in Moscow during the end of February is 27 F (3 below zero C).

While the temperature rebound may be a relief for some in western Russia, this surge of milder air has also led to rapid snowmelt and areas of flooding.

However, some temperatures in Europe began trending toward normal on Friday as a cold front swept central and eastern areas. This return to more seasonal temperatures will continue through the weekend despite an area of high pressure settling over much of the continent.

This area of high pressure will also promote mainly dry conditions and mostly sunny skies into early next week. Clear skies can also cause areas of dense fog to form through the overnight and early-morning hours.

Earlier in the month, cold air plagued northern Europe as storms, including Storm Darcy, trudged across the continent and brought accumulating snowfall to the region. Travel disruptions were common across Germany during the week of Feb. 8, and blizzard conditions were reported in the Netherlands.

The warmup across Europe came on the heels of record-challenging warmth that baked parts of Asia, including the Chinese capital of Beijing. The city, home to more than 21 million, set a new all-time winter record on Feb. 21 with a high of 78 F (25.6 C)

Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier, Spectrum, Fubo, and Verizon Fios.