Gusts of Arctic air have brought short-term cold to some parts of Europe. Berlin recorded its lowest temperature of the winter, but warmer weather is on the way, Luxembourg Times reports.
The German capital recorded -11°C on Monday and the cold will continue until Tuesday.
Authorities have issued an orange warning for north-east Germany, warning that sub-zero temperatures could cause hypothermia, freeze water pipes and cause frost damage to plants.
Dry Arctic air, bringing snow cover and slight winds, brought the lowest temperatures of the year to other parts of Germany as well. According to the national forecaster Deutscher Wetterdienst, a minimum of -18.4°C was recorded in the Harz Mountains.
The same weather is also seen in north-west Europe. In London it was -2.2°C on Monday and it will still be chilly on Tuesday, with average temperatures three degrees below the 30-year normal, data from Weather Services International showed.
In Luxembourg, daytime highs on Monday and Tuesday were only two to three degrees, but that will change quickly in the second half of the week.
The UK Meteorological Office predicts a low pressure system will arrive in the region by Wednesday, pushing out the worst of the cold. That will help make the region significantly warmer by the end of the week, Thore Hansen, a meteorologist with the German weather service, wrote in a weather update.
“Instead of double-digit minus temperatures at night, there will be talk of double-digit highs,” he said.
Temperatures in London will also rise by Friday, with 14C expected. Warm weather is also expected in other regions this week, although some are already much hotter than normal.
According to Meteolux, daytime highs on Friday and Saturday will be 13C – ten degrees higher than earlier in the week. Although cloud cover will increase, the weather is likely to remain dry and bright, with partial sunshine through the weekend.
In southern Spain, average temperatures are well above the multi-year norm. Daytime highs could rise to 21°C in Seville on Thursday.
