Study Finds Nearly All European Countries Experienced Unusually Warm Winter

According to research by Climate Central, an independent scientific organisation, 42 out of 43 European countries experienced warmer conditions than normal between December 2024 and February 2025. The findings underscore how climate change is not only intensifying extreme events but also steadily reshaping seasonal temperatures.

Globally, around 20 percent of the population endured days of unusual heat that were at least twice as likely human-driven climate change during the same period.

Heat Emerges as Dominant Climate Impact

While major disasters often draw attention to climate change, scientists say more subtle, day-to-day shifts in temperature are affecting billions of people. The study indicates that at least one in five individuals worldwide experienced a strong climate change signal every day over the three-month period.

Using its Climate Change Index, Climate Central defines a “strong” influence as conditions made at least twice as likely due to climate change. The data shows that extreme heat was the most widespread impact globally this winter.

Researchers estimate that nearly 394 million people faced at least 30 days of “risky heat” linked to climate change during the period. These are days when temperatures exceed 90 percent of historical local records from 1991 to 2020, increasing potential health risks, particularly in regions less prepared for such conditions.

A significant majority—around 74 percent—of those affected live in Africa.

In total, half of the countries analyzed (110 out of 220) saw their populations experience strongly climate-influenced temperatures for at least one-third of the season.

Europe Sees Widespread Temperature Increases

Across Europe, the data reveals widespread warming. Russia recorded the highest deviation from historical averages, with temperatures approximately 3.1°C above the 1991–2020 baseline. The Baltic states also saw significant increases, with Lithuania and Latvia experiencing temperatures about 2.8°C above normal, followed by Estonia at 2.7°C.

During the three-month period, more than 9.4 million people in four European countries experienced at least 30 days where average temperatures were strongly influenced by climate change.

Malta recorded the highest number of unusually hot days, with 34, while Norway and Estonia each experienced 32 such days, and Latvia recorded 31.

Cities Highlight Regional Trends

At the city level, Longyearbyen in Norway’s Svalbard archipelago stood out, with its population of just over 1,700 experiencing 45 days of abnormal heat conditions strongly linked to climate change.

Other cities with the highest temperature anomalies were predominantly located in Eastern Europe. These included Vilnius, Minsk, Tallinn, Riga, Helsinki, Kharkiv, Sarajevo, Kyiv, and Chisinau, all of which recorded notable deviations from seasonal norms.

The findings add to a growing body of evidence showing that climate change is increasingly influencing not only extreme weather events but also everyday temperature patterns across the globe.