For a second April in a row, record breaking cold has attacked Europe with penetrating frosts and snowfall following record warmth in March.

March 2022 temperature anomaly

April’s opening 2 days!

Opening 5 days!

Just 10 days ago, temperatures across the UK, Ireland, N France, Belgium, Netherlands and Germany were widely reaching 17-20C, locally 22C with some foot hill areas of the Alps surpassing 27C!

The initial wave of arctic air swept down over the UK bringing snow and low temperatures. However, this arctic air has deepened it’s penetration of N Spain, France, Low Countries and Germany as warmer Atlantic air get’s pushed across the UK.

Credit: wxcharts.comHere is the 2m temperature anomaly for this morning (April 4)

With a national average minimum of -1.5C, last night saw France observe it’s COLDEST APRIL NIGHT ON RECORD.

https://twitter.com/ThierryGooseBC/status/1510288432613847048

https://twitter.com/ThierryGooseBC/status/1510869371366768640

In Spain

The morning after France set’s a national average minimum record, multiple sites across northern Spain recorded lows close to -10C!

https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1511385628960772097

In Germany

https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1510935214003998731

https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1510593697943015432

In Austria

https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1510942761813430280

In Switzerland

https://twitter.com/ThierryGooseBC/status/1511147847130877957

Like last April, vineyards in multiple wine growing regions of France have been on high alert lighting fires in an attempt at avoiding severe frost damage.

While unusually cold across Western Europe, it was unusually warm in the southeast.

https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1510259336702009352