This March was the second warmest on record across Europe since records began.

According to data from the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service, it also ranks as the fourth warmest March on record globally.

The global average temperature was just over 13.9 °C, which is around half a degree above the average for the period from 1991 to 2020. The deviation was particularly marked in Europe: on average, it was more than two degrees warmer than the long-term average.

At the same time, many regions experienced an unusually long dry spell, whilst in the Mediterranean region and Scandinavia, for example, heavy rainfall led to flooding in some places.

The oceans also showed clear signs: sea surface temperatures reached the second-highest March reading since records began. In the Arctic, around the North Pole, a new low in sea ice extent was also recorded.