Categories: International

Impacts of Europe’s Extreme Winter Heat Wave Visible From Space

New satellite imagery reveals the effect of Europe’s ‘winter heatwave’ in the thick of the continent’s winter skiing season. An image posted by the European Union’s Copernicus Programme shows a distinct lack of snow surrounding the Swiss town of Altdorf, which is close to skiing resorts.  In Altdorf, the temperature reached 66.5°F (19.2°C) on New Year’s Day and did not fall below 60.9°F (16.1°C) during the night, breaking a previous record set in 1864. Warsaw in Poland also hit 66°F (18.9°C), smashing its own January record by over 9°F (5°C).

Buy Prime Test Series for all Banking, SSC, Insurance & other exams

What More Has Been Seen:

The new satellite image was captured by Sentinel 2, one of the Earth observation satellites that makes up the Copernicus Programme. According to the programme, 2023 has started with ‘a historic heatwave‘ affecting Europe, with many countries observing the warmest temperature on record for January 1, potentially due to human-caused climate change.

Most Affected Countries:

According to meteorologists, European countries including Denmark, Netherlands, Poland and Czech Republic had their warmest January day on record on New Year’s Day.  Abed in Denmark reached 54.6°F (12.6°C), while Korbielow in Poland reached 66.2°F (19°C) and Javornik in Czech Republic hit 67.2°F (19.6°C).  Bilbao in Spain also experienced its hottest ever January day on January 1, reaching 77.2°F (25.1°C).

What Is The COPERNICUS Programme:

The multi-billion Copernicus programme aims to help predict weather phenomena such as El Nino and track the progress of global warming.

There are three lots of twin satellites currently orbiting the Earth, named Copernicus Sentinel-1, 2 and 3. Their data can also help shipping companies chart more efficient routes and may be used to monitor forest fires, water pollution and oil spills.

Is this climate change: A Debate in Europe:

According to the UK Met Office, this record-breaking heat was partly due to a warm air mass from the west coast of Africa. According to the Swiss news site The Local, MeteoSwiss said that the extreme temperatures north of the Alps were also partly attributed to the Foehn effect — a phenomenon similar to Chinook winds, where air flowing down the lee side of the mountains warms up as it descends. It’s difficult to attribute a single day’s temperatures to climate change. However, this was clearly a remarkable and unprecedented event.

 

Piyush Shukla

Recent Posts

Weekly Current Affairs One Liners (7th September to 13th September, 2026)

Weekly Current Affairs One-Liners Current Affairs 2026 plays a very important role in competitive examinations…

13 hours ago

Elena Rybakina Beats Aryna Sabalenka to Win US Open 2026

Elena Rybakina won the US Open women’s single title in 2026 against the first-seed player…

18 hours ago

BRICS 2026: New Delhi Declaration Adopted Unanimously

The BRICS New Delhi Declaration 2026 was signed by all member countries on the first…

1 day ago

Rameswaram Temple Backdrop Steals Spotlight at BRICS Summit

The renowned Ramanathaswamy Temple located in Rameswaram turned out to be an accidental eye-catcher at…

2 days ago

Railway Station vs Junction vs Terminal: What Is the Difference?

Station, junction, terminal, and terminus are some terms which are commonly heard on India’s rail…

2 days ago

Russia Offers India Advanced Engine Upgrade for Su-30MKI

Russia has made another proposal to India on building an advanced fighter engine for upgrading…

2 days ago