Articles | Volume 20, issue 10
https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-20-2219-2024
https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-20-2219-2024
Research article
 | 
07 Oct 2024
Research article |  | 07 Oct 2024

The weather of 1740, the coldest year in central Europe in 600 years

Stefan Brönnimann, Janusz Filipiak, Siyu Chen, and Lucas Pfister

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Cited articles

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Short summary
The year 1740 was the coldest in central Europe since at least 1421. New monthly global climate reconstructions, together with daily weather reconstructions, allow a detailed view of this climatic event. Following several severe cold spells in January and February, a persistent circulation pattern with blocking over the British Isles caused northerly flow towards western Europe during a large part of the year. It was one of the strongest, arguably unforced excursions in European temperature.