Temperatures in northwest Europe are forecast to drop below seasonal norms next week, after a long spell of mild weather eased pressure on the continent’s strained energy networks.
(Bloomberg) — Temperatures in northwest Europe are forecast to drop below seasonal norms next week, after a long spell of mild weather eased pressure on the continent’s strained energy networks.
London is expected to reach 2.8C below average on Monday, while Oslo will be 3.5C below normal the next day, according to forecaster Maxar Technologies.
The return of wintry conditions follows a record-warm start to the year, which provided relief from an energy crunch that has hammered Europe for months. The mild weather curbed demand for heating, allowing some countries to top up natural gas stockpiles at a time when they’d usually be tapping supplies.
Most of Britain will see below-average temperatures by the end of next week, with snow possible in northern areas, according to the country’s Met Office.
It’s a different picture in southeast Europe, where warm weather is expected, according to Maxar. The northeast of the region will also be mild, with temperatures in Helsinki reaching 5.5C above normal on Monday.
For the continent as a whole, Maxar sees a total of 70.3 heating-degree days — a measure of the energy needed to heat homes — next week. That’s still well below the 10-year average.
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