A cold air mass from the Arctic is spreading severe cold and frost throughout Europe, increasing electricity demand and disrupting traffic in some areas.
High pressure systems over the Atlantic and Arctic caused temperatures to drop to -1 degree Celsius in London (UK) on January 5th and are expected to cause the lowest temperature on January 6th to reach 0 degrees Celsius, according to the latest cold air news from the UK Meteorological Agency (Met Office).
This cold spell also affects many other regions in Northern Europe, as well as Central Europe.
Temperatures below 0 degrees Celsius are expected to cause snowfall and frost in many places, including Scotland, Spain, Germany and France. France has issued an orange weather warning for 23 regions.
Severe cold increases heating demand across Europe. France has increased the operation of gas generators to meet electricity consumption demand, reaching the highest level in 5 years on January 5.
The expected lowest temperature is -4 degrees Celsius in Paris (France) on January 5 and 6, lower than 7 degrees Celsius compared to the long-term average.
Low temperatures in Munich (Germany) are expected to range from -10 degrees Celsius to -12 degrees Celsius for most of this week, according to German weather forecasters.
In France, according to Meteo France, snow is expected to fall as thick as 15cm in some areas, with snow spreading to Paris and other areas throughout the day.
French authorities have banned the transportation of heavy goods on some major highways in Brittany, France Info reported.
Railway company SNCF also warned about train disruptions in Normandy, while student transportation was temporarily suspended all day in Brittany and Normandy, TF1 television reported.
According to forecasts from Vaisala and MetDesk, next week, high pressure will make way for a warmer, hotter air mass from the Atlantic Ocean. Therefore, the weather will shift from severe cold to more moderate across the western half of Europe.
Some weather models predict that the weather will quickly turn cold again. However, gas prices in Europe fell on January 5 amid forecasts of warmer weather and abundant supply in late January and early February.
