Last month set a new record for the hottest March in Europe, surpassing the average temperatures by a significant margin, as revealed by recent data.

This development increases the likelihood of wildfires this summer, according to warnings from campaigners.

The average air temperature across the continent was notably 2.41C higher than the March average for the period 1991-2020, based on new data from the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service.

This may not seem like a lot, but it’s an average figure, meaning in some places, it was much higher.

Especially hard-hit were Eastern Europe and southwest Russia, where the mercury soared.

A heat map accompanying the data showing significant temperature variability across Europe, with large areas marked in dark orange and red, indicates how much higher the temperatures were compared to usual.

The UK experienced its sunniest March on record, extending back to 1920, with 185.8 hours of sunshine shattering the previous 1929 record by over 14 hours. These conditions, exacerbated by extreme heat and dryness, have exacerbated the risk of wildfires, as plants and trees dry out.

Temperatures are expected to rise above 20C (68F) in some areas this week, following the year’s hottest day so far on Friday.

When it comes to rainfall, March was a month of extreme variations in Europe, with some areas experiencing significant drought while others faced severe flooding. Several storms led to widespread floods in Spain and Portugal, displacing residents but helping to replenish reservoirs that were bone dry last year.

Despite some regions experiencing their driest March on record, other areas saw their wettest in at least the past 47 years. Samantha Burgess from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, which runs Copernicus, emphasized how temperatures are repeatedly setting new records.

The United Nations has stated that it is unequivocal that human activities are warming the planet, which results in rising average temperatures and severe heatwaves.