Climate of the European Union

Southern Europe has a distinctively Mediterranean climate, which features warm to hot, dry summers and cool to mild winters and frequent sunny skies.

Water temperatures there are mild in winter and warm in summer and give name to the Mediterranean climate type due to the majority of precipitation falling in the cooler months.

[2][3] The western parts of the European Union experiences an oceanic climate, characterized by cool summers and mild winters for their latitude.

Rainfall dominates for the majority of the year, while thunderstorms are infrequent due to the limited convergence of hot and cold air masses caused by rare strong daytime heating.

Winters tend to hover just below the freezing mark but can get even colder, with some eastern areas experiencing severe cold spells.

The relatively warm climate of Northern Europe, compared to other places at a similar latitude and even somewhat farther south, is primarily influenced by the combination of the Gulf Stream and the general west wind drift caused by the Earth's rotation.

Precipitation and humidity remain high year-round, with the heaviest rainfall usually occurring during the autumn months when the relative warmth of the sea compared to the land is at its greatest.

On January 28, 1999, the town of Pokka in Kittilä, Lapland, Finland, experienced an extreme cold temperature of −51.5 °C (−60.7 °F), marking the coldest on record in the European Union.

The cyclone brought tragedy, claiming 110 lives (including 88 in France alone) and causing more than €15 billion in damages, earning the unfortunate distinction of being the costliest European windstorm on record.

Following Lothar's passage, yet another intense European windstorm, Cyclone Martin, inflicted severe damage further south along the storm's track.