Autumn is showing its chilly side this week. After a few windy and cloudy days, many parts of Europe are experiencing frosty nights.

The night leading into Thursday, in particular, will be frosty from eastern Germany through Poland and into Ukraine.

Overnight on Friday, the frost will continue to spread. Temperatures will then drop below 0°C across a wide swathe of land stretching from the Benelux countries to the Czech Republic, Austria, and Hungary. For many motorists, this means it will be time to get their ice scrapers out in the morning.

The clear skies and light breeze are the main reasons for the cold autumn nights.

Without the protective cloud cover, the ground can cool down particularly sharply at night. If there is hardly any wind, the air is mixed very little. This allows the cold air to accumulate directly above the ground. In addition, cooler air is flowing in from Eastern Europe, causing temperatures to drop further.