Cities Across SW France & Basque Regions In Spain Set All-Time February Temps Up To 13C Over Averages
The end of winter brought unseasonably high temperatures across much of Europe but particularly so in northern Spain and south-west France as numerous February temperatures records were broken. Cities across Nouvelle-Aquitaine and the Basque Country, including Bordeaux, Bilbao and San Sebastián, matched or exceeded their long-term February records, with temperatures of 27.1C and 27.6C recorded in Bilbao and San Sebastián on Wednesday, more than 13C above average for the time of year.
The highest temperature of the spell was recorded on Tuesday in Saint Gladie at the foot of the Pyrenees mountains, where the mercury hit 29.6C, 16C above average and 2.6C above the previous highest February temperature at this station.
The warmth across western Europe was the result of a large area of high pressure developing across central Europe, which brought southerly winds across western Europe. Temperatures across northern Spain and south-west France were then further enhanced by the Föhn effect, a meteorological phenomenon whereby air that is forced over a mountain range sinks downwards on the leeward side, becoming significantly warmer and drier as a result.
After a reduction in temperatures over the weekend, further unseasonable warm temperatures are expected this week across much of Europe as high pressure is expected to remain across the continent. This will bring temperatures widely into the teens and low 20s, often 5-10C above the average temperatures for early March.
EDIT
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/mar/02/weather-tracker-february-temperature-records-broken-in-france-and-spain