In the frame of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) Climate Watch System, the Regional Climate Centre (RCC) Offenbach Node on Climate Monitoring provides regularly climate monitoring products and services for the regions Europe and Middle East.
A Climate Watch Advisory was issued by the WMO RCC for the regions Europe and Middle East about the cold spell expected over most of Europe from the 20th of February 2018 to the 12th March 2018 :
Due to the results from monthly forecasts a period with significantly below-normal temperatures (cold spell) at least for this and the next 2-3 weeks is expected for most of Europe (from Spain to Greece and from Ireland to Russia). The coldest days are expected for next week with weekly temperature anomalies below -10°C in western European Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and Poland. Weekly temperature anomalies below -6°C are expected in Central Europe, northern Italy, the Balkans and the Baltic States. The weekly anomalies for southern, western and northern Europe are forecasted with -3°C to -6°C. Depending on local situations the daily anomalies can go below these limits. Daily minimum temperatures are expected to be below 0°C even in the south.The probability for this temperature anomaly is estimated to be above 90% for the first two weeks and partly in the third week.
This cold period with surface frost could freeze the developing crops and fruits and could be a risk of life for vulnerable people exposed to the cold.
