Europe basks in record November warmth

With the climate change conference coming up in Paris at the end of this month, it seems apt that a vast number of individual cities across Europe have just broken their all-time November temperature records.

Paris itself has a new record with a high of 21.6C. The previous high was set last year.

The national record is held by Saint-Jean-de-Luz, near the Spanish border. The temperature reached 29C on Sunday, beating the previous record by 2.2 degrees. Records go back to 1921.

At the beginning of the month, the heat was streaming across the northwest of Europe. New heat records were set in Ireland and the UK.

Trawsoed in west Wales had a high of 22.4C. Meanwhile, Dooks in County Kerry had a maximum of 20.1C.

Norway and Sweden came close to topping their records with highs of 18C in Hudisvall and 20C in Sunndalsora.

Germany is also enjoying this unseasonably warm spell of weather. At least 73 sites in the country have broken their individual records but the national record has remained intact.

Northern Italy has also observed the heat, which has been very noticeable at higher levels. Switzerland has managed to reach new temperature heights.

Over the weekend, several parts of the country touched the 20 degree mark at lower altitudes.

At higher levels Jungfrau Mountain, which at 4,158 metres, is one of the tallest peaks amongst the Swiss Alps, hit an all-time high with a temperature of 7.2C. The previous record was 4.7C, set in 1992.

With record warmth also affecting parts of North America, South America, Japan and Australia at the moment, there is likely to be a heated debate in the French capital when the conference gets underway.