An unusual heatwave swept through Western Europe at the end of February 2026. In southwestern Germany, thermometers showed a record 23 degrees Celsius, and similar anomalies were recorded in Switzerland and France. The German Meteorological Service (DWD) summarized this winter as exceptionally mild, sunny, and marked by extremes that blurred the line between calendar winter and early spring.
Historical Heat Record
In southwestern Germany, temperatures reached 23 degrees Celsius, which is an unprecedented result for February.
Spring-like Aura in Europe
Switzerland and France are also recording very high temperatures, reaching 20 degrees in the Alps and border regions.
Balance of a Mild Winter
The German Meteorological Service assesses the ending winter as too dry, very sunny, and exceptionally warm relative to the norm.
The end of February 2026 has gone down in meteorological history as a period of exceptional thermal anomalies in Western and Central Europe. The highest temperatures were recorded in southwestern Germany, where thermometers showed almost 23 degrees Celsius. This value drastically deviates from long-term norms for this month, prompting forecasters to announce a likely breaking of historical heat records. A similar situation was observed in Switzerland, where temperatures reached 20 degrees, and in France, which is preparing for a sunny, almost spring-like weekend after transitional rainfall. The German Meteorological Service (DWD) published a preliminary report summarizing the passing winter, characterizing it as "exceptionally mild." In many states, such as Hesse, Saxony, or North Rhine-Westphalia, January and February were marked by a high number of sunshine hours and a deficit of precipitation, although there were regional exceptions, such as the record-rainy winter in Saarland. Experts emphasize that February was a month of extremes – from frosty days at the beginning of the month to a sudden temperature rise at its end. In Thuringia and Brandenburg, over 20 degrees were recorded, creating an aura typical of full spring in these regions. In recent decades, February in Europe has become statistically warmer, which climatologists link to progressing climate change and destabilization of the polar vortex. The 2026 records fit into the trend of increasingly shorter and milder winters on the continent.Weather analysts point to the unprecedented course of events in Bavaria, where after a month saturated with precipitation, there was a sudden turn towards sunshine and high temperatures reaching 21 degrees. This change affected not only the comfort of residents but also plant vegetation, which in many places began prematurely. The sudden leap from winter weather to spring warmth is becoming the new norm, posing challenges for agriculture and water management in European countries, which must contend with increasingly frequent periods of winter drought.