Eps 2: Climates of Europe
The winds' occasional projection westward explains unusually cold winters in western and central Europe, while exceptionally warm winters in that region result from the sustained flow of tropical maritime air masses.
Characterizing western areas heavily exposed to Atlantic air masses, the maritime type of climate-given the latitudinal stretch of those lands-exhibits sharp temperature ranges.
The January and July annual averages of Reykjavík , Iceland, are about 32 °F (0 °C) and 53 °F (12 °C) respectively, and those of Coruña , Spain , are about 50 °F (10 °C) and 64 °F (18 °C).
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Beth Cunningham
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While summer temperatures reach 105 degrees Celsius, winter temperatures in the eastern steppes drop to -40 degrees Celsius. Eastern areas have the warmest summers and coldest winters in Europe, with an average annual temperature of -1.5 degrees Celsius. The July average in this region is -36.9 degrees Celsius, and there is a record rainfall of only 1.6 million cubic metres.
The Great European Plain extends from the Ural Mountains in Eastern Europe to the Baltic Sea and the Black Sea in Northern and Eastern Europe. On the western edge of the European continent, a series of plateaus is formed, which are called short, rugged and rugged - extensive eastern steppes or steppe regions. There are two types of mountains in this region: the Russian highlands, the Caucasian mountains in central and eastern Russia and, to a lesser extent, the mountains of Ukraine.
The low mountain regions are a series of hilly and rugged plateaus that cross the central part of Europe, from the Black Sea in northern and eastern Europe to the Baltic Sea and the Mediterranean in central Europe.
These areas could be described as looking like the Appalachian Mountains of the United States. The same phenomenon occurs in the Pacific, where winters on the northeast coast of Asia are much colder than those in our Pacific Northwest, and summers in northern Europe.
Now, a group of researchers believe they know why this discrepancy occurs and whether the warmer waters off the continent's east coast affect coastal climate. Western Europe is thought to be warmer than its latitudes suggest, because the Gulf Stream shoots warm equatorial water into the Atlantic much faster than the colder waters in the Pacific. The Gulf Stream is responsible for a temperate climate at northern latitudes. Perhaps it is the result of a combination of climate change and the effects of global warming on the climate in Europe.
The Gulf of Mexico, where the water is warming much faster than the water in the Pacific, and the Atlantic off the coast of Europe.
A powerful current follows the east coast of the United States and crosses the Atlantic to Europe. The Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific off the coast of Europe have a seaside climate with high sea level rise and ocean acidification.
The prevailing west wind from west to east absorbs heat from the current and carries it to Europe. The region enjoys warm summers and cool winters, with high levels of ocean acidification and sea level rise.
The rainy season extends from October to February, while the dry season is particularly noticeable in the summer months, where rainfall can be extremely scarce throughout the year. The coastal plains of the Mediterranean basin show a wetter - drier - seasonal pattern. Central and Eastern Europe is classified as a continental climate with warm, hot summers and cold winters. The climate in Western Europe has been strongly influenced by the Gulf Stream, which brings mild air from the north and south-west and the Atlantic Ocean to the region.
The current heatwaves would dominate the region during the summer months due to the Gulf Stream and the Atlantic Ocean, as well as the high pressure system.
Rising temperatures and persistent heat waves will increase the impact of climate change on the climate system, such as extreme weather events. Such effects are already evident: since the 1970s, the frequency and size of forest fires have increased significantly.
In particular, in northern Europe, the number of extreme weather events such as floods, droughts and extreme heat waves is expected to increase. According to the European Food Safety Authority , cereal harvests could be reduced by up to 20% in some affected regions.
Roman and Greek monuments in southern Europe will also be exposed to increased thermal stress from rising temperatures and more frequent and intense heat waves.
The polar climate has a year - temperatures are cold around the clock and winters are severe, but limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius would avoid drastic climate impacts on Europe and Russia.
Polar climate is also found in the Arctic and Antarctic, as well as in other regions of the world, such as Antarctica and Greenland.
The climate of the Highlands is widespread in Scotland, Northern Ireland, the Highlands of England and parts of Scotland and Wales, as well as in the Scottish Highlands and Scotland.